The Invasion of Red Lionfish, Pterois volitans, to Marine Ecosystems Off the Southeastern United States: Past, Present, and Future
Scott Meister, South Carolina Department of Natural Resources
21 Oct 2005
Red lionfish, Pterois volitans, a marine scorpionfish indigenous to coral reefs in the Indo-Pacific region, have recently established breeding populations on reefs off the southeastern United States, representing what is believed to be the first documented successful introduction of an invasive marine fish species from the western Pacific to Atlantic coastal waters of the United States. Using photographic and videographic evidence, in addition to specimen collection, adult-sized individuals have been documented on live-bottom reefs and man-made structures off the Carolinas, Georgia, and Florida at depths ranging from 40-99 m. Additionally, juveniles have been collected in coastal estuaries off New York, providing strong evidence of reproduction occurring to the south, with egg and larva transport facilitated by the Gulf Stream. Using meristic and morphological characters, 14 of the 72 specimens documented in this study were positively identified to species level as P. volitans, however the possibility exists that more than one species is involved in the invasion. Although it is inherently difficult to determine the initial source of introduction of many invasive species, it is believed that captive lionfish were accidentally released into Florida east coast waters in 1992 as a result of Hurricane Andrew. Being a venomous top-level predator in their native range, the potential impact of this invader on southeastern marine ecosytems is great.
Aspects of lionfish life history, especially reproductive biology and food habits, must be investigated throughout their invasive range to provide baseline data and to pinpoint the potential impacts of their establishment in western North Atlantic waters. As lionfish populations in the southeast continue to expand, DNA sequencing of individuals across their invasive range should be performed to determine if numerous independent introductions have occurred, and nuclear markers should be used to potentially determine parentage.