Man Reels In Rare, Deadly Fish While Fishing With Father

A man in the UK was enjoying a relaxing fishing session with his father when he reeled in one of the deadliest fishes in the world, which is capable of paralyzing and killing humans.

Arfon Summers was fishing at a tourist hot spot in Dorset on Oct. 1 with his father when he caught a six-inch lionfish. This was potentially the first-ever sighting in British waters, Times Now reported.

"My mind was blown, a lionfish is a new offshore personal best. It’s no doubt the ocean is getting warmer to house these. I didn’t let it go due to it being an invasive species," he said, Ladbible reported.

His father was, however, was glad that the fish did not sting his son.

"I’m just glad the thing didn’t sting him. It must make him a British record holder if no one else has caught one," he said.

The lionfish is a deadly fish that is commonly found throughout the Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea. Also known as zebrafish, firefish, turkey fish and butterfly-cod, the fish has brown, red or white stripes all over the body.

Its spine is packed with venom that it uses as a protective mechanism. Once stung, humans suffer from intense pain and sweating and in some cases, respiratory distress and paralysis. If stung, the immediate remedy is to remove the spines and soak the wound in hot water. This is believed to help break down the toxin.

Meanwhile, marine biologists believe that the lionfish caught by Summers may have traveled to Britain from as far as Italy. There is also a possibility that the fish was kept in an aquarium and dumped in the sea.

"The water is warm enough, so a lionfish could have swum over here from the western Mediterranean. If it has, it means there will likely be more and it could have huge consequences for our native species," leading lionfish expert Jason Hall-Spencer of Plymouth University, said, Outsider reported.

Experts have asked people fishing in the area to stay vigilant.