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20 fun facts about lionfish
Shares detailed facts about lionfish, including their diet, their habitat, and their life cycle.
Book
Trait‐based diet selection: prey behaviour and morphology predict vulnerability to predation in reef fish communities
Understanding how predators select their prey can provide important insights into community structure and dynamics. However, the suite of prey species available to a predator is often spatially and temporally variable. As a result, species‐specific selectivity data are of limited use for predicting novel predator–prey interactions because they are assemblage specific. We present a method for predicting diet selection that is applicable across prey assemblages, based on identifying general morphological and behavioural traits of prey that confer vulnerability to predation independent of species identity. We apply this trait‐based approach to examining prey selection by Indo‐Pacific lionfish (Pterois volitans and Pterois miles), invasive predators that prey upon species‐rich reef fish communities and are rapidly spreading across the western Atlantic. We first generate hypotheses about morphological and behavioural traits recurring across fish species that could facilitate or deter predation by lionfish. Constructing generalized linear mixed‐effects models that account for relatedness among prey taxa, we test whether these traits predict patterns of diet selection by lionfish within two independent data sets collected at different spatial scales: (i) in situ visual observations of prey consumption and availability for individual lionfish and (ii) comparisons of prey abundance in lionfish stomach contents to availability on invaded reefs at large. Both analyses reveal that a number of traits predicted to affect vulnerability to predation, including body size, body shape, position in the water column and aggregation behaviour, are important determinants of diet selection by lionfish. Small, shallow‐bodied, solitary fishes found resting on or just above reefs are the most vulnerable. Fishes that exhibit parasite cleaning behaviour experience a significantly lower risk of predation than non‐cleaning fishes, and fishes that are nocturnally active are at significantly greater risk. Together, vulnerable traits heighten the risk of predation by a factor of nearly 200. Our study reveals that a trait‐based approach yields insights into predator–prey interactions that are robust across prey assemblages. Importantly, in situ observations of selection yield similar results to broadscale comparisons of prey use and availability, which are more typically gathered for predator species. A trait‐based approach could therefore be of use across predator species and ecosystems to predict the outcomes of changing predator–prey interactions on community dynamics.
Journal Article
Large-scale invasion of western Atlantic mesophotic reefs by lionfish potentially undermines culling-based management
The detrimental effects of invasive lionfishes (
Pterois volitans
and
Pterois miles
) on western Atlantic shallow reefs are well documented, including declines in coral cover and native fish populations, with disproportionate predation on critically endangered reef fish in some locations. Yet despite individuals reaching depths >100 m, the role of mesophotic coral ecosystems (MCEs; reefs 30–150 m) in lionfish ecology has not been addressed. With lionfish control programs in most invaded locations limited to 30 m by diving restrictions, understanding the role of MCEs in lionfish distributions remains a critical knowledge gap potentially hindering conservation management. Here we synthesise unpublished and previously published studies of lionfish abundance and body length at paired shallow reef (0–30 m) and MCE sites in 63 locations in seven western Atlantic countries and eight sites in three Indo-Pacific countries where lionfish are native. Lionfish were found at similar abundances across the depth gradient from shallow to adjacent MCEs, with no difference between invaded and native sites. Of the five invaded countries where length data were available three had larger lionfish on mesophotic than shallow reefs, one showed no significant difference, while the fifth represented a recently invaded site. This suggests at least some mesophotic populations may represent extensions of natural ontogenetic migrations. Interestingly, despite their shallow focus, in many cases culling programs did not appear to alter abundance between depths. In general, we identify widespread invasive lionfish populations on MCE that could be responsible for maintaining high densities of lionfish recruits despite local shallow-biased control programs. This study highlights the need for management plans to incorporate lionfish populations below the depth limit of recreational diving in order to address all aspects of the local population and maximise the effectiveness of control efforts.
Journal Article
Evaluating the Potential Efficacy of Invasive Lionfish (Pterois volitans) Removals
The lionfish, Pterois volitans (Linnaeus) and Pterois miles (Bennett), invasion of the Western Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico has the potential to alter aquatic communities and represents a legitimate ecological concern. Several local removal programs have been initiated to control this invasion, but it is not known whether removal efforts can substantially reduce lionfish numbers to ameliorate these concerns. We used an age-structured population model to evaluate the potential efficacy of lionfish removal programs and identified critical data gaps for future studies. We used high and low estimates for uncertain parameters including: length at 50% vulnerability to harvest (L(vul)), instantaneous natural mortality (M), and the Goodyear compensation ratio (CR). The model predicted an annual exploitation rate between 35 and 65% would be required to cause recruitment overfishing on lionfish populations for our baseline parameter estimates for M and CR (0.5 and 15). Lionfish quickly recovered from high removal rates, reaching 90% of unfished biomass six years after a 50-year simulated removal program. Quantifying lionfish natural mortality and the size-selective vulnerability to harvest are the most important knowledge gaps for future research. We suggest complete eradication of lionfish through fishing is unlikely, and substantial reduction of adult abundance will require a long-term commitment and may be feasible only in small, localized areas where annual exploitation can be intense over multiple consecutive years.
Journal Article
First Record of Invasive Lionfish (Pterois volitans) for the Brazilian Coast
The invasion of the northwestern Atlantic by the Indo-Pacific lionfish has developed extraordinarily fast, and is expected to cause one of the most negative ecological impacts among all marine invasions. In less than 30 years, lionfish have dramatically expanded their distribution range to an area encompassing the eastern coast of the USA, Bermuda, the entire Caribbean region and the Gulf of Mexico. The rapidity of the lionfish spread has raised concerns in other parts of the Atlantic that may be under the reach of the invasion. Despite the anticipation that lionfish would eventually extend their range throughout most of the eastern coast of South America, it had not been recorded in Brazil until now. Here we report the first lionfish appearance for the Brazilian coast and show that the individual collected by us is genetically linked to the invasive Caribbean population. Since small-range endemics are found in several locations in Brazil and are among the species that are most vulnerable to extinction, we recommend urgent control, management and education measures aimed at minimizing the effects of this impending invasion.
Journal Article
Feeding ecology of invasive lionfish (Pterois volitans and Pterois miles) in the temperate and tropical western Atlantic
Numerous location-based diet studies have been published describing different aspects of invasive lionfish (Pterois volitans and Pterois miles) feeding ecology, but there has been no synthesis of their diet composition and feeding patterns across regional gradients. 8125 lionfish stomachs collected from 10 locations were analyzed to provide a generalized description of their feeding ecology at a regional scale and to compare their diet among locations. Our regional data indicate lionfish in the western Atlantic are opportunistic generalist carnivores that consume at least 167 vertebrate and invertebrate prey species across multiple trophic guilds, and carnivorous fish and shrimp prey that are not managed fishery species and not considered at risk of extinction by the International Union for Conservation of Nature disproportionately dominate their diet. Correlations between lionfish size and their diet composition indicate lionfish in the western Atlantic transition from a shrimp-dominated diet to a fish-dominated diet through ontogeny. Lionfish total length (TL) (mm) was found to predict mean prey mass per stomach (g) by the following equation mean prey mass =0.0002*TL1.6391, which can be used to estimate prey biomass consumption from lionfish length-frequency data. Our locational comparisons indicate lionfish diet varies considerably among locations, even at the group (e.g., crab) and trophic guild levels. The Modified Index of Relative Importance developed specifically for this study, calculated as the frequency of prey a × the number of prey a, can be used in other diet studies to assess prey importance when prey mass data are not available. Researchers and managers can use the diet data presented in this study to make inference about lionfish feeding ecology in areas where their diet has yet to be described. These data can be used to guide research and monitoring efforts, and can be used in modeling exercises to simulate the potential effects of lionfish on marine food webs. Given the large variability in lionfish diet composition among locations, this study highlights the importance of continued location-based diet assessments to better inform local management activities.
Journal Article
Invasive Lionfish Drive Atlantic Coral Reef Fish Declines
Indo-Pacific lionfish (Pterois volitans and P. miles) have spread swiftly across the Western Atlantic, producing a marine predator invasion of unparalleled speed and magnitude. There is growing concern that lionfish will affect the structure and function of invaded marine ecosystems, however detrimental impacts on natural communities have yet to be measured. Here we document the response of native fish communities to predation by lionfish populations on nine coral reefs off New Providence Island, Bahamas. We assessed lionfish diet through stomach contents analysis, and quantified changes in fish biomass through visual surveys of lionfish and native fishes at the sites over time. Lionfish abundance increased rapidly between 2004 and 2010, by which time lionfish comprised nearly 40% of the total predator biomass in the system. The increase in lionfish abundance coincided with a 65% decline in the biomass of the lionfish's 42 Atlantic prey fishes in just two years. Without prompt action to control increasing lionfish populations, similar effects across the region may have long-term negative implications for the structure of Atlantic marine communities, as well as the societies and economies that depend on them.
Journal Article
Predictions of current and potential global invasion risk in populations of lionfish (Pterois volitans and Pterois miles) under climate change scenarios
Populations of lionfish (Pterois volitans Linnaeus, 1758; Pterois miles Bennett, 1828) have expanded in the western Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea since their introduction and have become a biological invasive species. This invasion has impacted these regions' marine biodiversity, and their impact is expected to increase due to climate change. Our work evaluated the current and future potential risk of lionfish populations during climate change scenarios based on the Maximum Entropy (MaxEnt) model. MaxEnt was used to predict lionfish populations’ suitability for current conditions and under two Representative Concentration Pathway scenarios (RCP 4.5 and 8.5) for 2040–2050 and 2090–2100. Lionfish had an estimated range of physiological tolerances from 10–15 °C to 30 °C. According to our analyses, lionfish can live off the coasts of western Africa, the Americas, and the Mediterranean Sea. Under mild warming scenarios, suitable conditions for lionfish could expand to higher latitudes due to their high thermal range and salinity tolerance. Our models predicted that lionfish could reach the coasts of France, the United Kingdom, Uruguay, South Africa, and New Zealand, among other regions, under warming scenarios. However, under the warmest scenario (RCP 8.5), tropical latitudes may become less suitable for lionfish, particularly in the Indo-Pacific region. Our results may be useful for resource managers to foresee where to increase efforts in lionfish fisheries and consumption.
Journal Article
Impacts of recurrent culling of invasive lionfish on mesophotic reefs in Bermuda
Invasive lionfish (Pterois miles and P. volitans) populations are now pervasive across the Caribbean and Western Atlantic. These generalist mesopredators have the potential to negatively impact reef fish populations throughout their invaded range. Targeted removal by culling has been shown as an effective way to manage shallow-water lionfish densities, however, lionfish are found across a broad depth range, with reproductive populations found at mesophotic depth. This study aimed to determine the efficacy of short-term culling of mesophotic lionfish populations and its impact on resident reef fish populations. Surveys of lionfish and reef fish populations were conducted monthly at three mesophotic reef sites in Bermuda from July to December 2017, with subsequent surveys six and 12 months later. During each survey, all lionfish were removed, measured, and sexed. Lionfish density was found to decrease significantly over the recurrent culling period, with the rate of recolonization declining as density declined, resulting in continued reductions with each subsequent culling. The percent of females also declined during recurrent culling, suggesting that culling may further reduce population stability through impacts to reproductive potential. Reef fish community composition changed throughout the study, with shifts in dominant species and trophic groups despite stable species richness and diversity. However, fluctuations in lionfish density as well as reef fish density and biomass reflected patterns of seasonality indicating that impacts of the physical environment may mask the influence of lionfish culling. Overall, these data suggest that culling of invasive lionfish on mesophotic reefs should target high density sites and seasonal aggregations in order to effectively contribute to management strategies.
Journal Article
A lionfish (Pterois miles) invasion has begun in the Mediterranean Sea
Until now, few sightings of the alien lionfish Pterois miles have been reported in the Mediterranean and it was questionable whether the species could invade this region like it has in the western Atlantic. Here, we present evidence from divers and fishermen that lionfish have recently increased in abundance and within a year colonised almost the entire south eastern coast of Cyprus, likely due to sea surface warming. At least 23 different fish are reported of which 6 were removed. Groups of lionfish exhibiting mating behaviour have been noted for the first time in the Mediterranean. Managers need this information and should alert stakeholders to the potential ecological and socio-economic impacts that may arise from a lionfish invasion. Actions could involve incentives to engage divers and fishermen in lionfish removal programmes, as these have worked well at shallow depths in the Caribbean. Given that the Suez Canal has recently been widened and deepened, measures will need to be put in place to help prevent further invasion.
Journal Article