Preliminary Assessment of Invasive Lionfish Pterois miles Using Underwater Visual Census Method in the Northeastern Mediterranean

Abstract

Underwater visual census (UVC) is a commonly used approach for assessing fish density and biomass. Iskenderun Bay, comprising the Samandağ coast in Turkey, is the most important introduction pathway of alien species in the northeastern Mediterranean. In this study, the density, abundance, distribution and interaction of invasive lionfish or devil firefish Pterois miles were assessed using the UVC method on the Samandağ coast. The total transect area monitored on the Samandağ coast was 4.500 m2. Species richness, Shannon’s diversity index and rate of biomass were 25, 1.81 and 73.5 m2, respectively. Reduced diversity was observed with increasing depths. The sandy seafloor was a limiting factor for lionfish distribution. There was a significant positive correlation between lionfish total density and both the Shannon diversity index (r = 0.99, P<0.001) and Shannon evenness index (r = 0.99, P<0.05). A high number of significant positive correlations (P<0.05) were detected between the occurrence of lionfish and the occurrence of both the native species and other alien species. The first stock assessment study of lionfish by the UVC method in Turkish marine waters revealed that native species are under very high pressure from lionfish species, especially Chromis, Sparids and Wrasses, indicating negative effects of lionfish on regional native biodiversity.

First Study of Invasive Lionfish (Pterois sp.) Population Dynamics in Martinique, Lesser Antilles Using Photo-Identification Method

“…Individuals measuring between 20 and 30 cm accounted for the majority of observations. These results are consistent with those obtained by Turan and Doğdu (2022) who showed that fish between 21 and 30 cm had the highest density across all habitat types. This trend may be influenced by the fact that larger individuals are the target of underwater hunting removals (Darimont et al 2009).…”

“…In contrast, Jud and Layman's (2012) study using tags on a population living in an estuary in Florida showed 80% recapture rates and very few moving individuals. These results may be explained by a smaller study area surrounded by broad bands of sand limiting fish distribution (Turan and Doğdu 2022). The Acropora and Trois Rivières sites are continuous reefs allowing for a larger population (Biggs and Olden 2011), also explaining the lower recapture rates.…”

Assessing the fish fauna diversity and abundance at Aegean and Ionian seas, with emphasis on certain NIS fish species via Scientific diving and Visual Census

“…It seems that the invasive lionfish, strongly affects the C . chromis populations [ 68 ] and potentially could threat the species in the future. It is worth to mention that at Nisyros Island we recorded high abundances of T .…”

Estimation of CPUE and CPUA of pufferfish (Tetraodontidae) caught by the Bottom Trawl Fishery in the eastern Mediterranean Coasts

“…Pufferfishes classified as Tetraodontidae family comprise 28 genera and approximately 184 species commonly distributed in marine waters (Froese & Pauly, 2022). In Turkish marine waters, there is an increasing trend in the number of pufferfish and lessepsian species due to the opening of the Suez Canal (Siokou et al, 2013;Yağlıoğlu et al, 2014;Doğdu et al, 2016;Turan et al, 2016;Stamouli et al, 2017;Dragičević et al, 2019;Turan and Doğdu, 2022), while eight species of Tetraodontids have been reported and two of which are native while the others are the Suez Canal invaders (Turan et al, 2018;Turan, 2020).…”