Monday 14 March 2022

Lion Fish

Now the scourge of the Mediterranean

Pterois - a genus of venomous marine fish.  Native to the Indo-Pacific.  Also called firefish, turkey fish, zebra fish.  They have 18  spines along their backs and sides which carry a deadly poison.  However, they are an excellent eating fish .  One way of getting rid of them, eat the damn things.  They taste like chicken apparently.    Quite a few other fish can eat them too, sharks, large snapper, grouper.


The lionfish has been found all around the med now and has been caught in quite a few places aroound Greece too.  Warmer sea temperatures have made our waters favourable unfortunately to this new species.  



This is the one caught on Poros by local fishermen



Wanted, Dead or Fried

The EU is promoting lionfish as a tasty snack. Public presentations have been given by chefs (somewhere, not around here, yet) offering tips on how to gut them, cook them on the BBQ and deep fry them. Gloves and scissors are essential when cleaning and filleting the  fish.  They are hoping that humans will be the lionfish's greatest enemy.







18 comments:

  1. Hmmm... think I prefer a nice piece of haddock 😁🦈

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    1. Ill let you know if I ever taste one. I hope that's never

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  2. All these years people have been talking about the climate and no one listened
    Now the damage is done we all have to live with the consequence's. at least you can eat this one so that’s a bonus I guess

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    1. Fortunately we haven't heard of others getting caught but I guess its only a matter of time

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  3. Ive never seen one but I'd like to try one.

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    1. I'll let you know what it tastes like . Doubt anyone here will be willing to clean one if they do ever catch one.

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  4. They look more like Tigers than Lions. I used to catch Perch which had spikes back in my Coarse Fishing days in Blighty.

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  5. Interesting how so many species are becoming problems in other areas.

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    1. Warmer waters has meant a huge change in the seasonal fishing.

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  6. Nature is so easily upset. In France we recently had an infestation of tiny wasps that kill the Chestnut trees. They came from Italy (I think), and it's taken huge efforts to control them. I hope they can control those fish.

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    1. That reminds me of whatever was killing olive trees in Italy. They must have found a way to stop the spread because we haven't heard of it here. Touch wood. Somehow I think it will be harder to stop the spread of these fish

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  7. There’s weird and wonderful things cropping up all over the world - you’re welcome to keep this one up your way😊

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    1. Thanks! I hope I never see one in person but who knows

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  8. At least it is not like fugu - that Japanese fish that is poisonous to eat.

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    1. I was surprised it's edible. I wonder if we'll ever see them on a fish mongers stall.

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  9. Let's hope people do enjoy eating them - it might help the environment along a bit :)

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  10. If people are willing, maybe it'll work. In Louisiana, they have so many coypu (a very large aquatic rodent..really looks much like a large tail-less rat), they have worked hard to try to encourage people to eat ~ but it hasn't been very popular :-)

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