Wild vs Captive Lionfish Venom

[vaguelyreeflike]

Yet another stupid question to add to my collection, is there any difference in potency between wild lionfish stings and captive ones? Does diet or environment affect absolutely anything regarding their venom?

I figure they’re exactly the same but I’ve been super curious.

 

[lion king]

Yet another stupid question to add to my collection, is there any difference in potency between wild lionfish stings and captive ones? Does diet or environment affect absolutely anything regarding their venom?

I figure they’re exactly the same but I’ve been super curious.

While I don't know of a study ever done with lionfish, there are studies in venomous snakes. In venomous snakes there are many variables which do effect the potency of their venom, I think this would relate to lions the same way. Poison dart frogs are venomous because of their diet in the wild, captive bred ones are not poisonous at all, and wild caught ones do lose their venom after being on a captive diet. I've only been stung by captive ones so I don't have a reference in the difference of a wild one, or ones with a different diet or conditions. Specifically what effects their venom I do not know, but there probably are variables which do.

 

[Slocke]

I doubt the difference would be great unless they are missing the amino acids needed to produce the protein toxins in their diet.
As Lion King says some creatures do lose their poison/venom in captivity but those species do not produce their own toxins but rather steal it from their prey. (Dart frogs steal it from various poisonous arthropods.) Glaucus atlanticus is another example. It is a nudibranch that steals the stinging cells of jellyfish.

 

[lion king]

In the case of venomous snakes, age and size, eating dead vs live, are some of the differences I remember. Stalking and attacking their prey produces different enzymes compared to passively eating dead food. Maturity also produces more potent venom. If we relate that to lions, that could make a bit of difference. My lions eat live food but many lions in captivity are malnourished. My lions have all reached close to their wild size and lived many years. Most captive lions don't live that long and are well short of their wild size, unless captured at a large size.