Friday, Jul 24, 2026 The claims desk. Receipts included. POWERED BY LENZ
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GENERAL

The Claim

A poisonous rabbitfish was recently caught or spotted in Bulgaria.

The Short Version

No confirmed catch or sighting of the poisonous rabbitfish (Lagocephalus sceleratus) has occurred in Bulgarian waters. The claim appears to stem from a conflation: viral reports show Bulgarian citizens catching the fish while fishing in Greek waters, not in Bulgaria. Authoritative Bulgarian outlets, including Factcheck.bg, explicitly note the absence of verified Bulgarian records, though experts warn the species could eventually spread given its documented presence elsewhere in the Black Sea.

Caveats

  • Reports of Bulgarians catching this fish refer to trips in Greek waters, not events inside Bulgaria.
  • The species has been recorded elsewhere in the Black Sea (notably Turkish waters), so future spread to Bulgarian waters remains a plausible but unconfirmed risk.
  • Sensational social media posts and low-authority sources have amplified confusion about where sightings actually occurred.

The Receipts

  1. The population of a dangerous fish species is growing in Greek waters, the number of injured people is increasing

    Fakti.bg

  2. Лагоцефалус сцелератус – митове и факти за „опасната риба заек“ в Гърция

    Factcheck.bg

  3. Rabbitfish and Lionfish: Two Deadly Fish for Humans in Greek Seas

    Athens News

  4. lagokéfalos - Greek Food Decoder App

    Facarospauls.com

  5. Опасна „риба заек“ се разпространява във водите на Гърция

    Vesti.bg

  6. A rabbit fish has bitten a bather

    Athens News

  7. По 5,33 евро за килограм: Гърция обяви битка с инвазивна риба в морето

    Dnes.bg

  8. New poisonous jellyfish found in Black Sea

    UPI

  9. Гърция започва война срещу токсичната риба: Ще има награда за тези, които я унищожават

    Actualno.com

  10. Риба заек – Риболовна енциклопедия от MF Tackle

    MF Tackle

+ 25 more sources — see the full list on Lenz

Filed Under

Black SeaBulgariaRabbitfish

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