Invasive Korean rockfish spotted in Izmit Bay

Climate change along with air and water temperatures, is also causing the ecosystem to deteriorate. As the habitats of some species shift due to temperature, changes are also being observed in marine life. The Northwest Pacific Oceannative Korean rockfish, northern also known as the black rockfish or black sea bream the "Sebastes schlegelii"has now begun to be seenin Izmit Bay. The Korean rockfish, a predatory marine ray-finned fish belonging to the Sebastinae subfamily of the Scorpaenidae family, is found off the coasts of China, the Korean Peninsula, and Japan. Recently, diver Levent Şişman accidentally caught a Korean rockfish while spearfishing.

'THE FISH TURNED COMPLETELY WHITE'

Diver Levent Şişman, who has been spearfishing since 2017, said, "Since my house is very close to the Halıdere region, I am definitely underwater three days a week. During a dive I took on Sunday, I encountered a species of fish. At a depth of 25 meters, right where the rocks are, the fish started coming toward me. It was flapping its fins, and I thought it was a grouper, dusky grouper, or goldblotch grouper. But as I got closer, I realized it wasn't. Then, after I caught it and surfaced, the fish changed color and turned completely white. When I examined it further, I saw it had 8-10 spines on its upper back, 2 spines on its rear reproductive area, and 5 stone-like spines on its cheeks. I made another dive and caught a larger one of the same species." he said.

'I DON'T KNOW HOW IT GOT HERE'

Stating that sea water temperatures have shown significant differences over the last 3-4 years, Şişman added, "The currents have changed a lot. The water temperature is currently 25-26 degrees. This is a high value. Because of this, other ocean fish can come here along with the warm water. This belongs to the scorpionfish family. In other words, it is of the same type as lionfish, scorpionfish, and black scorpionfish. Since these fish are venomous, I thought the fish I caught was also venomous. How the Korean rockfish got here is a mystery. It may have arrived via the ballast water of ships."

News Source: İHA