Recent invasion of a Florida (USA) estuarine system by lionfish Pterois volitans / P. miles 

Abstract

The invasion by lionfish Pterois volitans and P. miles throughout the western Atlantic and Caribbean is emerging as a serious ecological problem. While lionfish have been identified on coral reefs and in other marine systems, additional ecosystems may be affected as the invasion spreads. Here we identify the first estuarine intrusion by lionfish in their invasive range. Lionfish (n = 211) were captured in the Loxahatchee River estuary (Florida, USA) between August 2010 and April 2011, with some individuals located as far as ~5.5 km from the ocean. Multiple size classes were documented (standard lengths ranged from 23 to 185 mm), and post-settlement juveniles were present throughout the sampling period. All individuals were found in close association with anthropogenically created habitats (e.g. docks, sea walls, submerged debris), suggesting that humandriven changes in habitat availability may facilitate estuarine invasion. Fifteen prey taxa were found in lionfish stomachs, with diets dominated by small shrimp. Since estuaries are already highly threatened by human impacts, and provide critical habitat for numerous commercially, recreationally, and ecologically important species, establishment of lionfish in these ecosystems is of particular concern.

Spatio-temporal variation in the diet composition of red lionfish, Pterois volitans (Actinopterygii: Scorpaeniformes: Scorpaenidae), in the Mexican Caribbean: Insights into the ecological effect of the alien invasion

“…Muñoz et al (2011) discussed that although the pomacentrids are the most abundant prey in the environment, this group show a low importance in the diet of lionfi sh in locations of Carolina, USA, explaining that this results were related with the high substrate association in the Pomacentridae, making this group less vulnerable to predation. Also, in the Bahamas ) and Florida (Jud et al 2011) Pomacentridae does not appear to be an important item. In contrast, the results presented in our paper showed the Pomacentridae as the most important (IRI) fi sh family in the lionfi sh diet.…”

Presence of Juvenile Lionfish in a Northern Gulf of Mexico Nursery Habitat

“…The smaller size of lionfish collected in these habitats suggests that they may serve as nursery habitats with an ontogenetic shift to offshore hard bottom or reefs with increasing age (Barbour et al 2010;Claydon et al 2012, but see Jud et al 2011). Additionally, and of importance for the nGOM habitats, lionfish have been reported within an estuary in South Florida (Jud et al 2011), indicating a tolerance to large salinity fluctuations.…”

“…The effective camouflage of this individual, coupled with its fragility, could explain why there have been no previous reports of juvenile lionfish from shallow habitats of the northern Gulf of Mexico. Additionally, as suggested by Jud et al (2011) and Claydon et al (2012), the lack of sampling effort may contribute to the lack of reports in nearshore habitats, as most opportunistic sightings occur along popular recreational diving sites (e.g. coral reefs and offshore oil and natural gas platforms).…”

“…Although lionfish are typically associated with deeper hard-bottom and reef structures, they have been found in shallow seagrass (Biggs and Olden 2011) and mangrove (Barbour et al 2010) habitats within the Caribbean (Claydon et al 2012). The smaller size of lionfish collected in these habitats suggests that they may serve as nursery habitats with an ontogenetic shift to offshore hard bottom or reefs with increasing age (Barbour et al 2010;Claydon et al 2012, but see Jud et al 2011). Additionally, and of importance for the nGOM habitats, lionfish have been reported within an estuary in South Florida (Jud et al 2011), indicating a tolerance to large salinity fluctuations.…”

“…This is because the few prior studies of lionfish in seagrass, mangrove, and estuarine habitats have found that they are generalist predators, with small shrimp (Palaemonidae and Penaeidae) constituting a large portion of their diet (see Barbour et al 2010 andJud et al 2011). Thus, it can be assumed that economically important crustacean species that use the nGOM seagrass nursery habitat, such as brown and pink shrimp (Farfantepenaeus aztecus and F. duorarum) and blue crabs (Callinectes sapidus), will likely become prey for this voracious predator and that substantial increases in lionfish abundance may contribute to reduced shrimp and crab harvests.…”