Feeding ecology of invasive lionfish (Pterois volitans and Pterois miles) in the temperate and tropical western Atlantic

Mapping Intimacies ◽

10.31230/osf.io/5brkn ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

Juan Carlos Villaseñor-Derbez

Keyword(s):

Feeding Ecology ◽

Diet Composition ◽

Regional Scale ◽

Pterois Volitans ◽

Western Atlantic ◽

Large Variability ◽

Marine Food Webs ◽

Pterois Miles ◽

Prey Mass ◽

Invasive Lionfish

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 × TL^1.6391, 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.

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Feeding ecology of invasive lionfish (Pterois volitans and Pterois miles) in the temperate and tropical western Atlantic

Biological Invasions ◽

10.1007/s10530-018-1720-5 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 20 (9) ◽

pp. 2567-2597 ◽

Cited By ~ 20

Author(s):

Jonathan Peake ◽

Alex K. Bogdanoff ◽

Craig A. Layman ◽

Bernard Castillo ◽

Kynoch Reale-Munroe ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Feeding Ecology ◽

Pterois Volitans ◽

Western Atlantic ◽

Pterois Miles ◽

Invasive Lionfish

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Ecology and management of the invasive lionfish Pterois volitans/miles complex (Perciformes: Scorpaenidae) in Southern Costa Rica

Revista de Biología Tropical ◽

10.15517/rbt.v63i1.14749 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 63 (1) ◽

pp. 213 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Vera Sandel ◽

Damián Martínez-Fernández ◽

Daniel Wangpraseurt ◽

Luis Sierra

Keyword(s):

Costa Rica ◽

Population Density ◽

National Park ◽

Regional Scale ◽

Global Scale ◽

Pterois Volitans ◽

Western Atlantic ◽

Total Length ◽

Invasive Lionfish ◽

Percent Number

Invasive species alter ecosystem integrity and functioning and are considered one of the major threats to biodiversity on a global scale. The indopacific lionfish (Pterois volitans [Linnaeus, 1758] / miles [Bennet, 1882] complex) is the first non-native marine fish that has established itself in the Western Atlantic. It was first reported in Florida in the 1980s and then spread across the entire Caribbean in subsequent years. In Costa Rica, lionfish were first sighted by the end of 2008 and are now present in all South Caribbean reefs. Lionfish are a major problem for local fisherman by displacing native fish species. The aim of this study was to determine population density, size and diet of lionfish populations at four study sites along the Southern Caribbean coast of Costa Rica. Two of the sites were located inside the National Park Cahuita where regular lionfish removal occurs, whereas the other two study sides do not experiment this kind of management. Total length and wet weight of >450 lionfish individuals were determined between March and June 2011. Three relative metrics of prey quantity (percent number, percent frequency, and percent weight) were compared from ~300 lionfish caught with the polespear in shallow waters (<7m depth). Population density was assessed weekly through visual transect surveys. Our results showed that lionfish preyed mostly upon teleosts and crustaceans. Teleosts dominated lionfish diet in percent frequency (71%) and percent weight (85%), whereas crustaceans had the highest percent number (58%). The top five teleost families of dietary importance were Pomacentridae, Acanthuridae, Blennidae, Labridae and Serranidae. The average total length (±SD) of lionfish was 18.7(±5.7)cm and varied significantly between sites (p<0.001). Mean density of lionfish was 92fish/ha with no significant differences between sites.Smallest fish and lowest densities were found at the two sites inside the National Park Cahuita. Despite management efforts on a regional scale, nationwide efforts are ineffective and lionfish control activities are poorly implemented. We conclude that there is an urgent need to develop an improved institutional framework for local lionfish control that promotes effective coordination among the relevant stakeholders in order to deal with invasive lionfish in Costa Rica.

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Total mercury concentrations in invasive lionfish (Pterois volitans/miles) from the Atlantic coast of Florida

10.1101/2020.05.29.123117 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Eric G. Johnson ◽

Angelina Dichiera ◽

Danielle Goldberg ◽

MaryKate Swenarton ◽

James Gelsleichter

Keyword(s):

Total Mercury ◽

East Coast ◽

Trophic Position ◽

Atlantic Coast ◽

Marine Fishes ◽

Pterois Volitans ◽

Western Atlantic ◽

Significant Barrier ◽

Invasive Lionfish ◽

Mercury Bioaccumulation

ABSTRACTInvasive lionfish (Pterois volitans/miles) pose a serious threat to marine ecosystems throughout the western Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea. The development of a fishery for lionfish has been proposed as a strategy for controlling populations; however, there is concern about consumption of this species by humans due to its high trophic position and potential for bioaccumulation of mercury. We analyzed total mercury (THg) in tissues of lionfish from two locations on the east coast of Florida. THg in lionfish increased with size and differed by location and sex. THg was highest in muscle tissue and was strongly positively correlated among tissues. THg in lionfish was lower than other commonly consumed marine fishes, and falls into Florida’s least restrictive advisory level. Consumption of lionfish poses a low risk and concerns over mercury bioaccumulation should not present a significant barrier to lionfish harvest.

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Back to the Source: Lionfish Imported into the United States via the Ornamental Aquarium Trade

Journal of Environment and Ecology ◽

10.5296/jee.v8i2.12265 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 8 (2) ◽

pp. 23 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Samantha D. Farquhar

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Los Angeles ◽

Trade Flow ◽

The United States ◽

The Philippines ◽

Aquarium Trade ◽

Pterois Volitans ◽

Western Atlantic ◽

Pterois Miles ◽

Native Populations

Lionfish (Pterois miles and Pterois volitans) are known for their invasive success in the western Atlantic and Caribbean. With few marine fish invasions of similar magnitude being documented, the introduction of lionfish in this area has been deemed one of the fastest and most ecologically harmful introductions to date. Furthermore, this invasion is thought to be caused by negligent aquarists who released ornamental lionfish off the coast of Florida in 1985. Interestingly, lionfish are rare in abundance throughout their native waters of the Indo-Pacific and factors controlling lionfish’s native populations are little studied and not clearly defined. Through the analysis of the Marine Aquarium Biodiversity and Trade Flow database for the years 2008, 2009, and 2011, it was determined that approximately 137,723 lionfish were exported to the United States with Los Angeles, CA being the most popular point of entry. Of this total, 45.5% originated from the Philippines, 27.7% from Indonesia, and 14.5% from Kenya. Pterois volitans was exported from 15 different countries and on average 19 times more than Pterois miles which was exported only from three countries. This paper questions: 1) if the ornamental aquarium trade is affecting lionfish’s native populations and 2) if the lionfish imports could be leading to more introductions in non-native waters. Ultimately, this paper acts as a short communication identifying a need for further research and attention towards this

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Total mercury concentrations in invasive lionfish (Pterois volitans/miles) from the Atlantic coast of Florida

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0234534 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 16 (9) ◽

pp. e0234534

Author(s):

Eric G. Johnson ◽

Angelina Dichiera ◽

Danielle Goldberg ◽

MaryKate Swenarton ◽

James Gelsleichter

Keyword(s):

Total Mercury ◽

East Coast ◽

Trophic Position ◽

Atlantic Coast ◽

Marine Fishes ◽

Pterois Volitans ◽

Western Atlantic ◽

Significant Barrier ◽

Invasive Lionfish ◽

Mercury Bioaccumulation

Invasive lionfish (Pterois volitans/miles) pose a serious threat to marine ecosystems throughout the western Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea. The development of a fishery for lionfish has been proposed as a strategy for controlling populations; however, there is concern about consumption of this species by humans due to its high trophic position and potential for bioaccumulation of mercury. We analyzed total mercury (THg) in tissues of lionfish from two locations on the east coast of Florida. THg in lionfish increased with size and differed by location and sex. THg was highest in muscle tissue and was strongly positively correlated among tissues. THg in lionfish was lower than other commonly consumed marine fishes, and falls into Florida’s least restrictive advisory level. Consumption of lionfish poses a low risk and concerns over mercury bioaccumulation should not present a significant barrier to lionfish harvest.

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First record of the snapper-choking isopod Cymothoa excisa (Isopoda: Cymothoidae) parasitizing invasive lionfish Pterois volitans (Scorpaeniformes: Scorpaenidae)

Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom ◽

10.1017/s0025315417001576 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 98 (8) ◽

pp. 2095-2097 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Alfonso Aguilar-Perera ◽

Luis Quijano-Puerto ◽

Evelyn Carrillo-Flota ◽

Ernest H. Williams ◽

Lucy Bunkley-Williams

Keyword(s):

Coral Reefs ◽

Gulf Of Mexico ◽

Body Length ◽

Buccal Cavity ◽

First Record ◽

Pterois Volitans ◽

Western Atlantic ◽

Total Length ◽

Southern Gulf Of Mexico ◽

Invasive Lionfish

Two female snapper-choking isopods Cymothoa excisa (body length 11 and 14 mm) were in the buccal cavity of two invasive lionfish Pterois volitans (total length 294 and 301 mm) collected in Alacranes Reef, southern Gulf of Mexico. This is the first record of C. excisa parasitizing invasive lionfish P. volitans in coral reefs of the Western Atlantic, where these isopods appear to have infected the host through adult prey-predator transfer.

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On the relationship between native grouper and invasive lionfish in the Caribbean

10.7287/peerj.preprints.45v1 ◽

2013 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Peter J Mumby ◽

Daniel R Brumbaugh ◽

Alastair R Harborne ◽

George Roff

Keyword(s):

Invasive Species ◽

Observational Data ◽

Habitat Quality ◽

Negative Relationship ◽

Predatory Fish ◽

Pterois Volitans ◽

Western Atlantic ◽

Invasive Lionfish ◽

The Caribbean ◽

The Relationship

The Indo-Pacific lionfish, Pterois volitans, has invaded most of the Tropical Western Atlantic in the last few years. The degree to which populations of this invasive species can be controlled by native predatory fish (mostly grouper), is controversial with conflicting reports. Here, we review the evidence of two recent papers and point out some of the difficulties in inferring predator-limitation purely from observational data. A negative relationship has been found between large-bodied grouper and lionfish during early colonisation though the degree to which this is caused by direct predation versus behavioural mechanisms is unclear. Evidence to the contrary from a recent study suffers confounding effects of habitat quality, fishing, and dispersal and therefore remains equivocal.

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