Lionfish: a major marine invasion

Abstract

Indo-Pacific lionfish Pterois volitans/miles were likely introduced to Florida coastal waters via the aquarium trade and have spread rapidly along the southeastern coast of the United States and throughout the greater Caribbean region, including Bermuda and the Gulf of Mexico. This mesopredator has strong consumptive effects on native demersal fishes, especially on coral reefs but also including a variety of other nearshore habitats. The invader may also have substan- tial indirect effects on reef ecosystems by overconsuming ecologically important species. Given growing concern over what is likely the most damaging marine fish invasion to date globally, this Theme Section presents findings reported during a lionfish symposium at the Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute annual conference convened in Panama City, Panama, in November 2015. New findings include mechanisms that enhance the success of the invader, the extremely broad and variable diet of invasive lionfish, the ecological effects of the invader on native fish populations in various environmental contexts, and non-consumptive interactions between invasive lionfish and native predators.