Invasive lionfish preying on critically endangered reef fish

Luiz A. Rocha,Melanie McField,Lee A. Weigt,Carole C. Baldwin,Claudia R. Rocha

doi:10.1007/s00338-015-1293-z

Abstract

Caribbean coral reef ecosystems are at the forefront of a global decline and are now facing a new threat: elimination of vulnerable species by the invasive lionfish (Pterois spp.). In addition to being threatened by habitat destruction and pollution, the critically endangered social wrasse (Halichoeres socialis), endemic to Belize’s inner barrier reef, has a combination of biological traits (small size, schooling, and hovering behavior) that makes it a target for the invasive lionfish. Based on stomach content analyses, this small fish comprises almost half of the lionfish diet at the inner barrier reef in Belize. The combination of lionfish predation, limited range, and ongoing habitat destruction makes the social wrasse the most threatened coral reef fish in the world. Other species with small range and similar traits occur elsewhere in the Caribbean and face similar risks.

Highlights

Coral reefs are among the most diverse and productive and most threatened ecosystems on Earth, and decline is especially evident in the Caribbean, where threats include overfishing, pollution, sedimentation, climate change, and habitat destruction (Pandolfi et al 2003)
Caribbean coral reef ecosystems are at the forefront of a global decline and are facing a new threat: elimination of vulnerable species by the invasive lionfish (Pterois spp.)
The invasive Pterois volitans and P. miles were introduced in the tropical northwestern Atlantic in the mid1990s (Whitfield et al 2002) and today are found along the Atlantic coast of the USA from Rhode Island to Florida, in the Bahamas and Gulf of Mexico, and throughout the Caribbean (Betancur-R et al 2011)

Summary

Introduction

Coral reefs are among the most diverse and productive and most threatened ecosystems on Earth, and decline is especially evident in the Caribbean, where threats include overfishing, pollution, sedimentation, climate change, and habitat destruction (Pandolfi et al 2003). Abstract Caribbean coral reef ecosystems are at the forefront of a global decline and are facing a new threat: elimination of vulnerable species by the invasive lionfish (Pterois spp.).

Results

Conclusion