Increasing numbers of Striped Catfish (Plotosus lineatus) have been seen around the eastern Mediterranean. Lecturer Professor Cemal Turan at the Faculty of Marine Science and Technology at Iskenderun Technical University says the Striped Catfish is very dangerous. The first dorsal and each of the pectoral fins have a highly venomous spine.
According to Turan, this poisonous fish is found in the Indian Ocean but has increasingly appeared in the Red Sea, the Eastern Mediterranean and the coast of Turkey, having access through the Suez Canal. With climate change causing a rise in sea water temperatures in the Mediterranean, more of this type of fish are likely to be found in the future, he said.
The professor added that this could, in time, lead to the extinction of native species.
