Abstract
Widespread reports over the last six years confirm the establishment of lionfish (Pterois miles) populations in the eastern Mediterranean. Accumulated knowledge on lionfish invasions in the western Atlantic Ocean has shown that it is a successful invader and can have negative impacts on native species, indirect ecological repercussions and economic effects on local human societies. Here we analysed genetic sequences of lionfish from Cyprus as well as data from the whole distribution of the species, targeting the mtDNA markers cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (COI) and the control region (CR). Our results reflect a pattern of repeated introductions into the Mediterranean from the northern Red Sea and a secondary spread of this species west to Rhodes and Sicily. Presented results agree with previously published studies highlighting the genetic similarity with individuals from the northern Red Sea. Nevertheless, some individuals from Cyprus, in addition to those coming via the Suez Canal, were genetically similar to fish from the Indian Ocean, indicating genetic homogeneity among populations of P. miles across its current distribution, possibly facilitated by the ornamental fish trade and/or transport through ballast water.
Highlights
Invasive species are one of the main threats to biodiversity and natural resources, as they can cause severe changes in marine ecosystems [1,2,3]
The increasing number of reports of lionfish around the coasts of Cyprus show that the species is already established in the Mediterranean and is becoming more and more common [33,34]
While the ecological impacts of the invasion in the Atlantic Ocean have proved to be severe, we still do not know the magnitude of impacts in the Mediterranean [50]
Summary
Invasive species are one of the main threats to biodiversity and natural resources, as they can cause severe changes in marine ecosystems [1,2,3]. The negative impacts often include alterations in the structure of marine communities and ecosystem services, with significant economic cost and even impacts on human health [4,5,6]. The Mediterranean Sea is a biodiversity hotspot, as it currently hosts circa 17,000 known species, including more than 600 established alien spp., its volume and surface are less than 1% of the world’s oceans [3,9,10]. Climate change is considered to be one of the main factors that facilitated the establishment of thermophilic species that manage to reach the Mediterranean through the Suez Canal [11,12].
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