Are lionfish poisonous?
This is a very easy question to answer. The answer is NO, lionfish are not poisonous. A poison is something that must be either breathed in, eaten, swallowed or absorbed.
So if lionfish are not poisonous – what are they? They are venomous. Venom is a form of toxin secreted by an animal for the purpose of causing harm to another. Venom must be injected into the other animal by spines (lionfish), bites (fangs of a snake or spider) or stingers (bees and wasps). A lionfish has 18 needle-sharp spines that contain venom which includes a protein, a neuromuscular toxin and a neurotransmitter called acetylcholine.
Read my previous article on how to treat it if you are stung by a lionfish, or this one on are lionfish safe to eat?
