Large-scale invasion of western Atlantic mesophotic reefs by lionfish potentially undermines culling-based management

Abstract

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distributions remains a critical knowledge gap potentially hindering conservation management.Here we synthesise unpublished and previously published studies of lionfish abundance and body length at paired shallow reef (0-30 m) and MCE sites in 63 locations in seven western Atlantic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.

Depth-dependent effects of culling—do mesophotic lionfish populations undermine current management?

“…Patterns in our lionfish dissection results could partially be explained by previous suggestions of lionfish ontogenetic migrations extending onto MCEs [15,20], or may be driven primarily by depth-specific effects of culling, which is known to alter lionfish populations [8]. We detected declining proportions of immature lionfish with depth, supporting previous observations of ontogenetic movements in lionfish [20].…”

“…Lionfish ( P. volitans ) now appear to have widely invaded MCEs throughout the western Atlantic region [2,13–15]. This MCE invasion by lionfish is unsurprising, as they have been reported on MCEs in several locations across their native range including in the Red Sea [16], the Philippines and Micronesia [15], New Caledonia [17] and American Samoa [18].…”

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

“…Moreover, culling can have unintended consequences: lionfish behaviour can change to make further culling less effective (Côté et al, ) and lionfish recruitment spiked on culled reefs after a hurricane (Smith et al, ). Equally troubling is emerging evidence that the largest and most fecund lionfish might reside on mesophotic reefs at depths beyond the reach of diver‐led culls, which potentially undermines culling efforts by providing a continuous supply of recruits to adjacent, shallow‐water reefs (Andradi‐Brown et al, , ). Overall, the initial enthusiasm for culling as a viable management strategy might be tempered somewhat as new studies uncover some of the nuances and complexities of lionfish behaviour and movement.…”

Data quality and quantity for invasive species: A case study of the lionfishes

“…Several studies have utilized stable isotope analysis and DNA barcoding to accurately identify prey to the species level (Côté, Green, Morris, Akins, & Steinke, ; Dahl et al, ; Muñoz, Currin, & Whitfield, ; Valdez‐Moreno, Quintal‐Lizama, Gómez‐Lozano, & García‐Rivas, ). Habitat use is well studied in the invaded range (Andradi‐Brown et al, ; Biggs & Olden, ; Claydon, Calosso, & Traiger, ). Life history is described in detail (Ahrenholz & Morris, ; Morris, Sullivan, & Govoni, ).…”