Environmental and Biotic Correlates to Lionfish Invasion Success in Bahamian Coral Reefs

Antón, Andrea; Simpson, Michael S.; Vu, Ivana

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0106229

Cited by 38 publications

(30 citation statements)

References 56 publications

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“…However our observed lionfish densities along the BBR are not atypical. In fact, lionfish densities in Belize are comparable to those reported on similar reef habitats in Mexico, Cuba (Bay of Pigs), The Bahamas (San Salvador and Abaco), Colombia, and Venezuela (Agudo & Salas, 2014; Valdivia et al, 2014; Bayraktarov et al, 2014; Anton, Simpson & Vu, 2014), and may be more representative of the Caribbean region than the often-cited densities of New Providence, Bahamas (Green & Côté, 2009) (Fig. 5).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 72%

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Invasive lionfish had no measurable effect on prey fish community structure across the Belizean Barrier Reef

Hackerott

Valdivia

Cox

et al. 2017

PeerJ

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Invasive lionfish are assumed to significantly affect Caribbean reef fish communities. However, evidence of lionfish effects on native reef fishes is based on uncontrolled observational studies or small-scale, unrepresentative experiments, with findings ranging from no effect to large effects on prey density and richness. Moreover, whether lionfish affect populations and communities of native reef fishes at larger, management-relevant scales is unknown. The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of lionfish on coral reef prey fish communities in a natural complex reef system. We quantified lionfish and the density, richness, and composition of native prey fishes (0–10 cm total length) at sixteen reefs along ∼250 km of the Belize Barrier Reef from 2009 to 2013. Lionfish invaded our study sites during this four-year longitudinal study, thus our sampling included fish community structure before and after our sites were invaded, i.e., we employed a modified BACI design. We found no evidence that lionfish measurably affected the density, richness, or composition of prey fishes. It is possible that higher lionfish densities are necessary to detect an effect of lionfish on prey populations at this relatively large spatial scale. Alternatively, negative effects of lionfish on prey could be small, essentially undetectable, and ecologically insignificant at our study sites. Other factors that influence the dynamics of reef fish populations including reef complexity, resource availability, recruitment, predation, and fishing could swamp any effects of lionfish on prey populations.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 72%

“…Below the axis, grey boxes indicate number of years since the invasion at the time of the survey of invaded regions. Sources for lionfish density values include (Kulbicki et al, 2011; Agudo & Salas, 2014; Cure, McIlwain & Hixon, 2014; Valdivia et al, 2014; Bayraktarov et al, 2014; McTee & Grubich, 2014; Anton, Simpson & Vu, 2014). …”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Invasive lionfish had no measurable effect on prey fish community structure across the Belizean Barrier Reef

Hackerott

Valdivia

Cox

et al. 2017

PeerJ

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“…But do they? A negative relationship between the density or biomass of lionfish and potential native competitors would be expected under strong competition (Hardin, 1960;Bøhn et al, 2008), but such a relationship has so far been largely elusive (Hackerott et al, 2013;Anton et al, 2014;Valdivia et al, 2014;Bejarano et al, 2015;Curtis et al, 2017; but see Mumby et al, 2011). Such a purely demographic measure would, of course, overlook shifts in microhabitat or in diet that could result from exploitation competition.…”

Section: N E W K N Ow L E D G E a B O U T C O R R E L At E S O F P O mentioning

confidence: 99%

The lionfish Pterois sp. invasion: Has the worst‐case scenario come to pass?

Côté

Smith

2018

Journal of Fish Biology

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This review revisits the traits thought to have contributed to the success of Indo-Pacific lionfish Pterois sp. as an invader in the western Atlantic Ocean and the worst-case scenario about their potential ecological effects in light of the more than 150 studies conducted in the past 5 years. Fast somatic growth, resistance to parasites, effective anti-predator defences and an ability to circumvent predator recognition mechanisms by prey have probably contributed to rapid population increases of lionfish in the invaded range. However, evidence that lionfish are strong competitors is still ambiguous, in part because demonstrating competition is challenging. Geographic spread has likely been facilitated by the remarkable capacity of lionfish for prolonged fasting in combination with other broad physiological tolerances. Lionfish have had a large detrimental effect on native reef-fish populations in the northern part of the invaded range, but similar effects have yet to be seen in the southern Caribbean. Most other envisaged direct and indirect consequences of lionfish predation and competition, even those that might have been expected to occur rapidly, such as shifts in benthic composition, have yet to be realized. Lionfish populations in some of the first areas invaded have started to decline, perhaps as a result of resource depletion or ongoing fishing and culling, so there is hope that these areas have already experienced the worst of the invasion. In closing, we place lionfish in a broader context and argue that it can serve as a new model to test some fundamental questions in invasion ecology.

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“…Lionfish densities on reefs in their invaded range can be several orders of magnitude higher than in their native range (Green & Côté 2009, Darling et al 2011, Kulbicki et al 2012, McTee & Grubich 2014. At the same time, there is wide variation in lionfish densities within their invaded range, owing in part to differences in the length of time since establishment (Ruttenberg et al 2012, Dahl & Patterson 2014, removal efforts (Frazer et al 2012, de León et al 2013, and abiotic site characteristics including depth and exposure to strong currents and wave surge (Whitfield et al 2007, Anton et al 2014. In contrast, invasive lionfish populations are likely unaffected by potential predators (Hackerott et al 2013, Valdivia et al 2014, but see Mumby et al 2011) or interspecific competitors (Albins 2013), especially given that native predators are severely depleted throughout much of the Caribbean (Paddack et al 2009, Stallings 2009).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Invasive lionfish increase activity and foraging movements at greater local densities

Benkwitt¹

2016

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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Density-dependent changes in predator foraging behavior due to intraspecific competition for food can have important implications for population dynamics of both the predator and its prey. The Indo-Pacific red lionfish Pterois volitans is an invasive predatory reef fish that has reached high population densities and can cause large reductions in small native fishes. To determine whether lionfish behavior or movement varies with local lionfish and/or prey densities, I conducted observations of lionfish on 16 coral patch reefs in The Bahamas. Lionfish foraging activity and movement varied significantly with lionfish density. At higher densities, lionfish exhibited greater activity levels, time away from shelter, and more short-term foraging movements between coral patch reefs and surrounding seagrass habitats. However, these changes were not uniform throughout the day, with differences in activity occurring only at dusk and differences in movement occurring at both dawn and dusk, but not midday. Although some lionfish foraging behaviors varied with prey density, overall lionfish density was more strongly related to differences in lionfish activity patterns. These temporal and spatial changes in lionfish foraging behaviors are consistent with the predicted effects of intraspecific competition and may have important consequences for lionfish removal efforts and native prey populations. Specifically, in areas with higher lionfish densities, prey fishes that are more active at dusk and/or inhabit seagrass beds near coral patch reefs may be more vulnerable to lionfish predation. By culling lionfish, managers may reduce the local foraging movements of lionfish and thus help maintain native fish communities in multiple habitats.

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Environmental and Biotic Correlates to Lionfish Invasion Success in Bahamian Coral Reefs

Cited by 38 publications

References 56 publications

Invasive lionfish had no measurable effect on prey fish community structure across the Belizean Barrier Reef

Invasive lionfish had no measurable effect on prey fish community structure across the Belizean Barrier Reef

The lionfish Pterois sp. invasion: Has the worst‐case scenario come to pass?

Invasive lionfish increase activity and foraging movements at greater local densities

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