The Israel Nature and Parks Authority (INPA) on Thursday called on the public not to touch fish on the beaches after carcasses of three venomous or poisonous species were found on the country’s beaches.
Two dogs, named Karma and Mikey, almost died after coming into contact with the pufferfish over the past two weeks, Ynet reported.
The owner of Karma said that he witnessed several dead pufferfish at the Beit Yanai Beach, some six miles north of Netanya.
“Karma must have licked or eaten one of them and got poisoned,” Nadav Reich was quoted as saying.
The INPA warned of three invasive species with venom or toxins that can cause great pain and even a risk of serious injury: the rabbitfish, the red lionfish and the pufferfish.
The first two are venomous, not poisonous, and can be found along the entire Israeli Mediterranean coastline, as well as the Red Sea in the Eilat region.
The pufferfish poses a greater risk and, like the rabbitfish, has entered the Mediterranean Sea via the Suez Canal.
Carmel-Yam Veterinary Hospital in Kiryat Tiv'on, near Haifa, warned that pufferfish contain a powerful neurotoxin called tetrodotoxin, which disrupts the transmission of signals between nerves and muscles.
“The early stages of poisoning may include vomiting, weakness, and muscle tremors. In severe cases, however, the toxin progresses rapidly and can paralyse the respiratory muscles, creating an immediate, life-threatening emergency,” the hospital said.
Rotem Sadeh, the INPA’s Northern Marine District manager and a park ranger, said in a statement: “Whenever we go to the sea, it’s important to remember that it isn’t a swimming pool, it’s a living, breathing ecosystem filled with many different creatures.
"The Mediterranean contains several species of venomous fish, and contact with them can cause injury. That’s why it’s very important not to touch marine animals, both to protect them from us and to protect ourselves.”
The INPA said that these fish do not wash ashore by accident, but are typically left there by fishermen because they are not desirable for consumption.
It called on fishermen to return them to the sea if alive or dispose of them in a bin if dead, since the average person does not know which fish are dangerous.
The rabbitfish has a long dorsal fin equipped with large venomous spines.
The red lionfish is easily recognisable by its long venomous spines and 15-inch-long body.
The pufferfish has a unique body shape that enables it to inhale massive amounts of water into its highly elastic stomach, up to three times its normal size.
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