Lionfish Invade Reefs
The red lionfish, Pterois volitans, is wreaking havoc on Caribbean reefs, in what some are calling, one of the most deadly marine invasions in history. The red lionfish is a member of the venomous Scorpionfish subfamily, and is native to the Indian and Pacific Oceans. However, reports of observation in the Atlantic Ocean have been published since 2000. To date, lionfish have been reportedly seen from Turks & Caicos to Rhode Island. They are thought to have entered to the Atlantic Ocean in 1992, when Hurricane Andrew shattered an aquarium near a bay in Miami that housed six lionfish.
Lionfish are formidable predators, which hunt by cornering prey with their venomous spines inhaling them with a single gulp. They are concentrated primarily in the shallow water reefs and mangrove thickets in the Bahamas—often consuming young reef fish. Scientists fear a lack of adequate predatory pressure on the lionfish population. Groupers have been known to prey on lionfish, but are insufficient in number. Attempts to condition sharks and moray eels to consume lionfish, by scientists, have only been minimally successful. Scientists fear the non-native lionfish may cause significant damage to the native species in the Bahamas and have a collateral impact on the Bahamian reefs.
Sources:
McFadden. “Venomous lionfish prowls fragile Caribbean waters”. The Associated Press: Retrieved August 17, 2008. http://www.tickertech.com/cgi/?a=news&ticker=a&w=&story=200808D92HKEAG0
Robins, Robert H. “Red Lionfish Profile”. Florida Museum of Natural History Online. Retrieved Online September 4, 2008
http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/Gallery/Descript/RedLionfish/RLionfish.html
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