Invasion History

First Non-native Panama (Caribbean) Tidal Record: 2008

Panama Invasion History:


Invasion history elsewhere in the world:


Description

Pterois volitans (Red Lionfish) has an almond-shaped body, and a large head, one-third to one-half body length, with numerous head spines, and often with large tentacles above the eyes. Dorsal fin spines and rays of dorsal, anal, pelvic and pectoral fins are greatly elongated, making the fish look a little like an exploding firework. The caudal fin is rounded. Eleven species of Lionfish (Pterois are known, some very similar morphologically to P. volitans. Pterois miles, very similar to P. volitans, has also been introduced to the the Western Atlantic, and can be distinguished only by meristic counts, morphometrics, and fine morphological details, or molecular methods (Schultz 1986; Hamner et al. 2007; Freshwater er al. 2009; Florida Museum of Natural History 2017; Froese and Pauly 2017; USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Program 2017).

The dorsal fin of Pterois volitans has 13 spines and 9-12 (usually 11) soft rays. The anal fin has 3 spines, and 6-8 (usually 7) soft rays. (For P. miles, the usual numbers are 10 dorsal rays and 6 anal rays). Color patterns vary greatly with environment, but are basically zebra-striped in red and white. The soft dorsal, anal, and caudal fins are spotted. (Pectoral fins and fin spots are smaller in P. miles). The usual maximum size of P. volitans is ~380mm, but one specimen off Venezuela reached 457 mm (Schultz 1986; Ehemann 2017; Florida Museum of Natural History 2017; Froese and Pauly 2017; USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Program 2017).

Of 180 specimens of Western Atlantic Pterois examined at the molecular level by Hamner et al. 2004), 168 were identified as P. volitans, primarily a western Pacific species, 12 specimens as P. miles, whose range encompasses thee wstern tropical/subtropical Indian Ocean (Africa-Red Sea-Australia) (Hamner et al. 2007). For both species, intraspecific variation in color and morphology is greater than that between species (Schultz 1986; Lowe 2016). A dramatic case is the appearance and rapid spread of a an apparently distinct morphoology of the supraoptical tentacle in both species, both in Indo-Pacific and Atlantic populations. The supraoptical tentacle can either be a simple, unbranched tentacle, or have a highly branched 'peacock-feather' morphology. This polymorphism probably evolved before the divergence of the two species (Morris and Freshwater 2008). Recent genetic studies indicate that hybridization has been occurring between P. volitans and P. miles in the Atlanitc, and P. volitans, in its native Indo-Pacific, has undergone genetic exchange with the more localized species P. lunulata (Luna Lionfish) and P. russelli (Plaintail Turkeyfish) (Wilcox et al. 2018). These authors suggest that heterosis ('hybrid vigor') may have contributed to the invasiveness of inttoduced lionfishes.


Taxonomy

Taxonomic Tree

Kingdom:   Animalia
Phylum:   Chordata
Subphylum:   Vertebrata
Superclass:   Osteichthyes
Class:   Actinopterygii
Subclass:   Neopterygii
Infraclass:   Teleostei
Superorder:   Acanthopterygii
Order:   Scorpaeniformes
Suborder:   Scorpaenoidei
Family:   Scorpaenidae
Genus:   Pterois
Species:   volitans

Synonyms

Gasterosteus volitans ( Linnaeus, 1758)
Pterois zebra (Quoy and Gaimard, 1825)
Pterois cristatus ( Swainson, 1839)
Pterois volitans castus (Whitley, 1951)

Potentially Misidentified Species

Dendrochirus brachypterus
Shortfin Turkeyfish, Indo-Pacific, also in aquarium trade, not yet found in wild (Lyons et al. 2017)

Dendrochirus zebra
Zebra Turkeyfish, Indo-Pacific, also in aquarium trade, not yet found in wild (Lyons et al. 2017)

Pterois lunulata
Pterois lunulata (Luna Lionfish), a Northwest Pacific native, is closely related to P. volitans (Red Lionfish), eastern Indo-Pacific, and P. russelli (Plaintail Turkeyfish), western Indo-Pacific (Wilcox et al. 2018).

Pterois miles
Pterois miles (Devil-Firefish) can be distinguished from P. volitans only by meristic counts and molecular analyses (Schultz 1986; . It is native to the western Indo-Pacific, and has also been introduced to the Western Atlantic (Schultz 1986; Hamner et al. 1997). Where the species have been distinguished, P. miles has been much rarer than P. volitans (Hamner et al. 2004; Guzmán-Méndez et al. 2017).

Pterois russelli
Pterois russelli (Plaintail Turkeyfish), western Indo-Pacific, is closely related to P. volitans (Red Lionfish), eastern Indo-Pacific, and P. lunulata (Luna Lionfish), a Northwest Pacific native (Wilcox et al. 2018).

Ecology

General:

Red Lionfish (Pterois volitans) have separate sexes, and spawn in pairs, after a courtship ceremony. Male lionfish mature at about 100 mm, and females at about 180 mm. Lionfish are synchronous, ineterminant spawners. The ovaries contain eggs in all stages of development, and spawning can take place year-round. Mature eggs have a mean diameter of 804 um, Eggs are released in a mass, with an estimated 24,630 eggs, surrounded by a ball of mucus. Egg masses are released, two at a time, near the surface (Morris et al. 2009; Morris and Whitfield 2009; Morris et al. 2011; Gardner et al. 2015). In North Carolina, Lionfish spawn about every four days, resulting in an annual fecundity of about two million eggs per year (Morris and Whitfield 2009). The larvae remain in the plankton for 20-35 days, as estimated from daily otolith rings (Ahrenholtz and Morris 2010). The planktonic larvae hatch with a yolk-sac, which is resorbed, and then feed on plankton. The offshore spawning locations, larval period, and pelagic mode of development permit long-distance dispersal by currents (Morris and Whitfield 2009; Morris et al. 2009; Vasquez-Yeomans et al. 2011; Kitchens et al. 2017). Settlement probably takes place predominantly but not exclusively in shallow habitats, including mangroves, seagrasses, estuaries, and around man-made structures, where juvenile lionfish are more common. Larger fish tend to predominate in deep-reef habitats (Biggs and Olden 2011; Claydon et al. 2012; Jud et al. 2011; Cure et al. 2014).

The Red Lionfish is generally regarded as a strictly marine, and tropical fish, but it is highly mobile and versatile, capable of using a wide range of habitats. In experiments where temperature was decreased gradually, the mean lethal temperature was 10 C, while feeding ceased at 16 C. In the field, populations off NC, were limited by a 12 C isotherm (Kimball et al. 2004), permitting the fish to winter in Gulf Stream-influenced waters (Kimball et al. 2004). The mean temperature for Lionfish in Onslow Bay, North Carolina was 15.3 C, at a depth of 38-46 M (Whitifield et al. 2014). Upper lethal temperature, determined as a critical thermal maximum (CTM), was 34-39 C (Aiken et al. 2014). Juvenile and adult lionfish were found through much of the Loxahatchee estuary, Florida (Jud et al. 2011). Lionfish survived 28 days at 7 PSU with no mortality or changes in behavior, feeding and growth. Fish in the Loxahatchee estuary occasionally occurred at salinities as low as 1 PSU, but did not survive prolonged exposure to these conditions (Jud et al. 2011; Schofield et al. 2015). Lionfish utilize a range of habitats, including coral reefs, mangroves, seagrass beds, and man-made structures, such as pilings (Barbour et al. 2010; Biggs and Olden 2011; Claydon et al. 2012; Jud et al. 2011; Pimiento et al. 2013). Lionfish have been widely reported in shallow water, but also from the mesophotc zones at the base of reefs, and from deeper slope waters at 200-300 m depth (Gress et al. 2017). The visual system of lionfishes are similar to those of Western Atlantic estuarine piscivores, but they are more sensitive to hypoxia, which could limit their penetration into estuaries (Hasenei et al. 2020).

Juvenile and adult Lionfishes are carnivorous. In the Loxahatchee River estuary, where juvenile fish predominated, the prey were about half-and-half fishes and crustaceans (crabs and shrimps). By weight, penaeid shrimps, blennies, and Gerreidiae (mojarras, a small perch-like fish) predominated (Jud and Layman 2011). On reefs in the Bahamas, Côté and Maljkovic (2010) observed Lionfish consuming many species of reef fishes. Lionfishes hunt throughout the diel cycle, but feeding rates are highest near dawn and sunset, and on overcast days (Côté and Maljkovic 2010; Green et al. 2011). In experiments, feeding rates were higher under white or blue light than red light, and lowest in darkness. Attack rates were much higher in environments of low habitat complexity (South et al. 2017).

Lionfishes' long-venomous spines limit predation, but they are eaten by native Nassau Groupers (Epinephelus striatus) (Maljkovic and Van Leeuwen 2008; Mumby et al. 2011). Lionfish can be eaten by humans, when the spines are removed, and are highly regarded as food in Asia. Fisheries are being encouraged in the Caribbean, as a possible means of population control (Morris et al. 2012). Introduced populations of lionfish have a much lower incidence of parasites than populations in the naitve range (Tuttle et al. 2017). Lionfish are not social or schooling, but do aggregate in structurally complex habitats. This might aid the development of artificial structures for the attraction and acpture of Lionfish (Hunt et al. 2019).

Food:

Crustaceans (shrimps), Fishes, Crabs

Consumers:

Humans; fishes

Trophic Status:

Carnivore

Carn

Habitats

General HabitatCoral reefNone
General HabitatUnstructured BottomNone
General HabitatRockyNone
General HabitatMarinas & DocksNone
General HabitatCoarse Woody DebrisNone
Tidal RangeSubtidalNone
Vertical HabitatEpibenthicNone
Vertical HabitatNektonicNone

Life History


Tolerances and Life History Parameters

Minimum Temperature (ºC)9.5Minimum CT min (Barker et al. 2017)
Maximum Temperature (ºC)39.5Aikins et al. 2014 Critical Thermal Maximum, Aikens et al. 2014; Barker et al. 2017 http://www.fishconserve.org/arcel/admin/uploads/FPLP112.pdf
Minimum Salinity (‰)7Experimental (Jud et al. 2014; Schofield et al. 2015). Long-term survival and growth occurred at 10-34 PSU (Schofield et al. 2015), but lionfish tolerated short exposures (>7 days) at 4-5 PSU (Jud et al. 2014; Schofield et al. 2015).
Maximum Salinity (‰)36Typical Gulf of Mexico salinity
Minimum Duration20Approximate time from hatching to settlement, based on daily otolith rings, Bahamas (Ahrenholz and Morris 2010)
Maximum Duration35Approximate time from hatching to settlement, ased on daily otolith rings, Bahamas (Ahrenholz and Morris 2010)
Minimum Length (mm)100Minimum for males, 170 mm for females (Morris and Whitfield 2019); Morris et al. 2011
Maximum Length (mm)467Bermuda (Eddy et al. 2019); 457 mm Ehemann (2017 , One specimen, Venezuela)
Broad Temperature RangeNoneSubtropical-Tropical
Broad Salinity RangeNoneMesohaline-Euhaline

General Impacts


Regional Distribution Map

Bioregion Region Name Year Invasion Status Population Status
PAN_CAR Panama Caribbean Coast 2009 Def Estab

Occurrence Map

OCC_ID Author Year Date Locality Status Latitude Longitude

References

Aguilar-Perera, Alfonso; Tuz-Sulub, Armin (2010) Non-native, invasive Red lionfish (Pterois volitans [Linnaeus, 1758]: Scorpaenidae), is first recorded in the southern Gulf of Mexico, off the northern Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico, Aquatic Invasions 5(2): <missing location>

Ahrenholz, Dean W.; Morris, James A. Jr. (2010) Larval duration of the lionfish, Pterois volitans along the Bahamian Archipelago, Environmental Biology of Fishes 88: 305-309

Aikens, Christer and 6 authors 2014 The critical thermal maximum of Lionfish (<i>Pterois volitans</i>). <missing URL>



Airey , Montana E. ; Fogg, Alexander Q. · Drew Joshua A. D (2023) Invasive lionfish dispersal between shallow‑ and deep‑water habitats within coastal Floridian waters, Biological Invasions 25: 3983–3991
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-023-03153-w

Albins, Mark A.; Hixon, Mark A. (2008) Invasive Indo-Pacific lionfish Pterois volitans reduce recruitment of Atlantic coral-reef fishes., Marine Ecology Progress Series 367: 233-238

Albins, Mark A.; Hixon, Mark A. (2013) Worst case scenario: potential long-term effects of invasive predatory lionfish (Pterois volitans) on Atlantic and Caribbean coral-reef communities, Environmental Biology of Fishes 96: 1151-1157

Albins, Mark A.; Lyons, Patrick J. (2012) Invasive red lionfish Pterois volitans blow directed jets of water at prey fish, Marine Ecology Progress Series 448: 1-5

Alphin, Troy D.; Posey, M. H. ; Smith, M E. (1997) Comparison of infauna associated with the macroalga Caulerpa prolifera found in southeastern North Carolina, Journal of the Elisha Mitchell Scientific Society 113(1): 16-21

Anton, Andrea; Cure, Katherine; Layma, Craig A.; Puntila, Riikka; Simpson, Michael S.; Bruno, John F. (2016) Prey naiveté to invasive lionfish Pterois volitans on Caribbean coral reefs, Marine Ecology Progress Series 544: 257-269

Arias-Gonzalez, Jesus Ernesto; Gonzalez-Gandara, Carlos; Cabrera, Jose´ Luis; Christensen, Villy (2011) Predicted impact of the invasive lionfish Pterois volitans on the foodweb of a Caribbean coral reef, Environmental Research 111: 917-925

Associated Press 11/24/2011 St Maarten nixes plan to promote lionfish as food after tests show some meat tainted. <missing URL>



Barbour, Andrew B.; Allen, Michael S.; Frazer, Thomas K.; Sherman, Krista D. (2011) Evaluating the potential efficacy of invasive lionfish (Pterois volitans) removals, PLOS ONE 6(5): e19666 (published on

Barbour, Andrew B.; Montgomery, Meredith L.; Adamson, Alecia A.; Díaz-Ferguson, Edgardo; Silliman, Brian R. (2010) Mangrove use by the invasive lionfish Pterois volitans, Marine Ecology Progress Series 401: 291-294

Bejarano, Sonia; Lohr, Kathryn; Hamilton, Samantha; Manfrino, Carrie (2015) Relationships of invasive lionfish with topographic complexity, groupers, and native prey fishes in Little Cayman, Marine Biology 162: 253-266

Benkwitt, Cassandra E. (2013) Density-dependent growth in invasive lionfish (Pterois volitans), PLOS ONE 8(6): e66995

Benkwitt, Cassandra E. (2015) Non-linear effects of invasive lionfish density on native coral-reef fish communities, Biological Invasions 17: 1383-1395

Bernal, Nicholas A.; DeAngelis, Donald L; Schofield, Pamela J.; Sealey, Kathleen Sullivan (2015) Predicting spatial and temporal distribution of Indo-Pacific lionfish (Pterois volitans) in Biscayne Bay through habitat suitability modeling, Biological Invasions 17: 1603-1614

Betancur-R., Ricardo and 5 authors (2011) Reconstructing the lionfish invasion: insights into Greater Caribbean biogeography, Journal of Biogeography 38: 1281-1293

Biggs, Christopher R.; Olden, Julian D. (2011) Multi-scale habitat occupancy of invasive lionfish (Pterois volitans) in coral reef environments of Roatan, Honduras, Aquatic Invasions 6: corrected proof

Black, Andrew N.; Weimann, Sonia R.; Imhoff, Vance E.; Richter, Martin L. ; Itzkowitz, Murray (2014) A differential prey response to invasive lionfish, Pterois volitans: Prey naiveté and risk-sensitive courtship, Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 460: 1-7

Briggs, Philip T.; Waldman, John R. (2002) Annotated list of fishes reported from the marine waters of New York, Northeastern Naturalist 9(1): 47-80

Brown-Peterson, Nancy J.; Hendon, J. Read (2013) Notes on the biology of invasive lionfish (Pterois sp. In the northcentral Gulf of Mexico, Gulf and Caribbean Research 25: 117-120

Bullard, S. A.; Barse, A. M.; Curran, S. S.; Morris, J. A., Jr. (2011) First record of a digenean from invasive lionfish, Pterois cf. volitans, (Scorpaeniformes: Scorpaenidae) in the northwestern Atlantic Ocean, Journal of Parasitology 97(5): 833-837

Butterfield, John S. S. and 8 authors (2015) Wide-ranging phylogeographic structure of invasive red lionfish in the Western Atlantic and Greater Caribbean, Marine Biology 162: 773-781

Calado, Ricardo; Chapman, Peter M. (2006) Aquarium species: Deadly invaders., Marine Pollution Bulletin 52: 599-601

Campbell, Matthew D. and 10 authors (2021) Rapid spatial expansion and population increase of invasivelionfish (Pterois spp.) observed on natural habitats in the northern Gulf of Mexico, Biological Invasions Published online: <missing location>

Campbell, Matthew D. and 9 authors (2022) Rapid spatial expansion and population increase of invasive lionfish (Pterois spp.) observed on natural habitats in the northern Gulf of Mexico, Biological Invasions 24: 93-105

Cerino, David; Overton, Anthony S.; Rice, James A.; Morris, James A. Jr. (2013) Bioenergetics and trophic impacts of the invasive Indo-Pacific lionfish, Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 142: 1522-1534

Chaves, L. C. T.; Hall, J.; Feitosa, J. L. L.; Côté, I. M. (2016) Photo-identification as a simple tool for studying invasive lionfish Pterois volitans populations, Journal of Fish Biology 88: 800-804

Claydon, John Alexander Brightman; Calosso, Marta Caterina; Traiger, Sarah Beth (2012) Progression of invasive lionfish in seagrass, mangrove and reef habitats, Marine Ecology Progress Series 448: 119-129

Cote, Isabelle M. and 6 authors (2014) What doesn’t kill you makes you wary? Effect of repeated culling on the behaviour of an invasive predator, PLOS ONE 9(4): e94248

Côte, Isabelle M.; Green, Stephanie J.; Hixon, Mark A. (2013) Predatory fish invaders: Insights from Indo-Pacific lionfish in the western Atlantic and Caribbean, Biological Conservation 164: 50-61

Côté, Isabelle M.; Maljkovic, Aleksandra (2010) Predation rates of Indo-Pacific lionfish on Bahamian coral reefs, Marine Ecology Progress Series 404: 219-225

Courtenay, Walter R. (1997) Nonindigenous fishes., In: Simberloff, D., Schmitz, D. C., and Brown, T. C.(Eds.) Strangers in Paradise: Impact and Management of Nonindigenous Species in Florida. , Washington, D. C.. Pp. 109-122

Dahl, Kristen A.; Patterson, William F. III (2014) Habitat-specific density and diet of rapidly expanding invasive Red Lionfish, Pterois volitans, populations in the northern Gulf of Mexico, PLOS ONE 9(8): e105852

Darling, Emily S.; Green, Stephanie J. ; O’Leary, Jennifer K.; Cote, Isabelle M. (2011) Indo-Pacific lionfish are larger and more abundant on invaded reefs: a comparison of Kenyan and Bahamian lionfish populations, Biological Invasions 13: 2045-2051

DeLapp, John (8/14/2011) Invasive species on the prowl along Texas coast, Galveston County Daily News <missing volume>: <missing location>

Edwards, Morgan A.; Frazer, Thomas K.; Jacoby, Charles A. (2014) Age and growth of invasive lionfish (Pterois spp.) in the Caribbean Sea, with implications for management, Bulletin of Marine Science 90(4): 53-966

Elise, Simon; Urbina-Barreto, Isabel ; Boadas-Gil, Hazael; Galindo-Vivas, Miguel; Kulbicki, Michel (2015) No detectable effect of lionfish (Pterois volitans and P. miles) invasion on a healthy reef fish assemblage in Archipelago Los Roques National Park, Venezuela, Marine Biology 162: 319-330

Encarnação, João; Baptista, Vânia; Teodósio, Maria Alexandra; Morai, Pedro (2021) Low-cost citizen science effectively monitors the rapid expansion of a marine invasive species, Frontiers in Environmental Science 9(752705): Published online
doi: 10.3389/fenvs

Ericson, Jenny A. (2005) The economic roots of aquatic species invasions., Fisheries 30(5): 30-33

Evangelista, Paul H.; Young, Nicholas E; Schofield, Pamela J.; Jarnevich, Catherine S. (2016) Modeling suitable habitat of invasive red lionfish Pterois volitans (Linnaeus, 1758) in North and South America’s coastal waters, Aquatic Invasions 11: In press

Ferreira, Carlos E. L. and 6 authors (2015) First record of invasive Lionfish (Pterois volitans) for the Brazilian coast, PLOS ONE 10(4): e0123002

Ferriter, Amy, and 9 authors (2006) 2006 South Florida Environmental Report, South Florida Water Management District, Miami. Pp. <missing location>

Finch, Margaret W. ; Ballenger, Joseph C.; Bacheler, Nathan M.; Bubley, Walter J. (2024) Tracking an invasion: how the distribution and abundance of Lionfish (Pterois spp.) has changed along the U.S. Atlantic coas, Biological Invasions <missing volume>: Published online
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-024-03248-y

Freshwater, D. Wilson and 9 authors (2011) Mitochondrial control region sequence analyses indicate dispersal from the US East Coast as the source of the invasive Indo-Pacific lionfish Pterois volitans in the Bahamas, Marine Biology 156: 1213-1221

Freshwater, D. Wilson; Hamner, Rebecca M.; Parham, Seth; Wilber, Ami M. (2009) Molecular evidence that the lionfishes Pterois miles and Pterois volitans are distinct species., Journal of the North Carolina Academy of Science 125(2): 39-46

Froese, R.; Pauly, D. (Editors). 2002-2024 FishBase.(World Wide Web electronic publication).. <missing URL>



Gardner, Patrick G.: Frazer, Thomas K.; Jacoby, Charles A.; Yanong, Roy P. E. (2015) Reproductive biology of invasive lionfish (Pterois spp.), Frontiers in Marine Science 2: Published online

Gilmore, R. G. 2001 Pacific Lionfish. <missing URL>



Golani, Daniel, Sonin, Oren (1992) New records of the Red Sea fishes, Pterois miles (Scorpaenidae) and Pteragogus pelycus (Labridae) from the Eastern Mediterranean Sea, Japanese Journal of Ichthyology 39(2): 167-169

González, Juliana; Grijalba-Bendeck, Marcela; Acero P.; Betancur-R., Arturo Ricardo (2009) The invasive red lionfish, Pterois volitans (Linnaeus 1758), in the southwestern Caribbean Sea, Aquatic Invasions 4(3): 507-510

Goodbody‑Gringley, Gretchen; Chequer, Alex; Grincavitch, Cali; Noyes, Timothy; Dowell, Rosalie; Lundberg, Alex; Corbett, Ellie; Smith, Ashley (2023) Impacts of recurrent culling of invasive lionfish on mesophotic reefs in Bermuda, Coral Reefs 42: 443–452
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-023-02354-y

Green, S. J.; Cote, M. (2009) Record densities of Indo-Pacific lionfish on Bahamian coral reefs, Coral Reefs 28: 107

Green, S. J.; Tamburello, N.; Miller, S. E.; Akins, J. L.; Côte, I. M. (2013) Habitat complexity and fish size affect the detection of Indo-Pacific lionfish on invaded coral reefs, Coral Reefs 32: 413-421

Green, Stephanie J. and 6 authors (2014) Linking removal targets to the ecological effects of invaders: a predictive model and field test, Ecological Applications 24(6): 1311-1322

Green, Stephanie J.; Akins, John L.; Maljkovic, Aleksandra; Cote, Isabelle M. (2012) Invasive lionfish drive Atlantic coral reef fish declines, PLOS ONE 7(3): e32596

Green, Stephanie J.; Akins, John L.; Côté, Isabelle M. (2011) Foraging behaviour and prey consumption in the Indo-Pacific lionfish on Bahamian coral reefs, Marine Ecology Progress Series 433: 159-107

Green, Stephanie J.; Dulvy, Nicholas K.; Cote, Isabelle M. (2015) Response to Valderrama and Fields: effect of temperature on biomass production in models of invasive lionfish control, Ecological Applications 25(7): 2048-2050

Green, Stephanie J.; Grosholz, Edwin D. (2021) Functional eradication as a framework for invasive species control, Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment 19(2): 98-107

Green, Stephanie J.; M. Cote´, Isabelle (2014) Trait-based diet selection: prey behaviour and morphology predict vulnerability to predation in reef fish communities, Journal of Animal Ecology 83: 1451-1460

Grieve, Brian D.; Curchitser, Enrique N.; Rykaczewski, Ryan R. (2016) Range expansion of the invasive lionfish in the Northwest Atlantic with climate change, Marine Ecological Progress Series 546: 225-237

Guerrero, Kelvin A, Franco, Ángel Luís (2008) First record of the Indo-Pacific red lionfish Pterois volitans (Linnaeus, 1758) for the Dominican Republic., Aquatic Invasions 3(2): 255-256

Hackerott, Serena and 8 authors (2013) Native predators do not influence invasion success of Pacific lionfish on Caribbean reefs, PLOS ONE 8(7): e68259

Hamner, R. M.; Freshwater, D. W.; Whitfield, P. E. (2007) Mitochondrial cytochrome b analysis reveals two invasive lionfish species with strong founder effects in the western Atlantic., Journal of Fish Biology 71(Supplement B): 214-222

Hare, Jonathan A.; Whitfield, Paula E. (2003) An integrated assessment of the introduction of Lionfish (Pterois volitans/miles complex) to the Western Atlantic Ocean., None <missing volume>: <missing location>

Harris, Holden E. and 5 authors (2023) The bioeconomic paradox of market-based invasive species harvest: A case study of the commercial liongish fishery, Biological Invasions 25: 1596-1612

Huge, Dane H.; Schofield, Pamela J.; Jacoby, Charles A.; Frazer, Thomas K. (2014) Total mercury concentrations in lionfish (Pterois volitans/miles) from the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, USA, Marine Pollution Bulletin 78: 51-55

Ingeman, Kurt E.; Webster, Michael S. (2015) Native prey mortality increases but remains density-dependent following lionfish invasion, Marine Ecology Progress Series 531: 241-252

Johnston, Matthew W.; Purkis, Sam J.; Dodge, Richard E. (2015) Measuring Bahamian lionfish impacts to marine ecological services using habitat equivalency analysis, Marine Biology 162: 2501-2512

Johnston, Matthew W.; Purkis, Sam J. (2014) Lionfish in the eastern Pacific: a cellular automaton approach to assessing invasion risk, Biological Invasions published online: <missing location>

Johnston, Matthew W.; Purkis, Sam J. (2014) Are lionfish set for a Mediterranean invasion? Modelling explains why this is unlikely to occur, Marine Pollution Bulletin 88: 138-147

Johnston, Matthew W.; Purkis, Sam J. (2015) A coordinated and sustained international strategy is required to turn the tide on the Atlantic lionfish invasion, Marine Ecology Progress Series 533: 219-235

Johnston, Matthew W.; Purkis, Samuel J. (2011) Spatial analysis of the invasion of lionfish in the western Atlantic and Caribbean, Marine Pollution Bulletin published online: <missing location>

Johnston, Michelle A.; Nuttall, Marissa F.; Eckert, Ryan J.; Embesi, John A.; Sterne,Travis K.; Hickerson, Emma L.; Schmahl, George P. (2016) Rapid invasion of Indo-Pacific Lionfishes Pterois volitans (Linnaeus, 1758) and P. miles (Bennett, 1828) in Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary, Gulf of Mexico, documented in multiple data sets, BioInvasions Records 5: In press

Jud, Zachary R.; Layman, Craig A. (2012) Site fidelity and movement patterns of invasive lionfish, Pterois spp., in a Florida estuary, Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 414-415: 69-74

Jud, Zachary R.; Layman, Craig A.; Lee, Jessica A.; Arrington, D. Albrey (2011) Recent invasion of a Florida (USA) estuarine ssytem by lionfish (Pterois volitans/P. miles), Aquatic Biology 13: 21-26

Jud, Zachary R.; Nichols, Patrick K.; Layman, Craig A. (2014) Broad salinity tolerance in the invasive lionfish Pterois spp. may facilitate estuarine colonization, Environmental Biology of Fishes published online: <missing location>

Kimball, Matthew E.; Miller, John M.; Whitfield, Paula E.; Hare, Jonathan A. (2004) Thermal tolerance and potential distribution of invasion lionfish Pterois volitans/miles complex on the east coast of the United States., Marine Ecology Progress Series 283: 269-278

Kindinger, Tye L. (2015) Behavioral response of native Atlantic territorial three spot damselfish (Stegastes planifrons) toward invasive Pacific red lionfish (Pterois volitans), Environmental Biology of Fishes 98: 487-498

Kulbicki, Michel and 19 authors (2012) Distributions of Indo-Pacific lionfishes Pterois spp in their native ranges: implications for the Atlantic invasion, Marine Ecology Progress Series 446: 189-205

Landis, Nomee 2001 Exotic fish species turns up a long way from home. <missing URL>



Layman, C. A.; Jud, Z. R.; Nichols, P. (2014) Lionfish alter benthic invertebrate assemblages in patch habitats of a subtropical estuary, Marine Biology 161: 2179-2182

Lesser, Michael P.; Slattery, Marc (2011) Phase shift to algal dominated communities at mesophotic depths associated with lionfish (Pterois volitans) invasion on a Bahamian coral reef, Biological Invasions published online: <missing location>

Linardich, Christi; Brookson, Cole; Green, Stephanie J. (2021) Trait-based vulnerability reveals hotspots of potential impact for a global marine invader, Global Change Biology Published online: <missing location>

Linsmayer, Lauren, (2011) <missing title>, Stanford University, Stanford CA. Pp. 48 pp.

Loerch, Starlene M.; McCammon, Amber M.; Sikkel, Paul C. (2015) Low susceptibility of invasive Indo-Pacific lionfish Pterois volitans to ectoparasitic Neobenedenia in the eastern Caribbean, Environmental Biology of Fishes 98: 1979-1985

Lonnstedt, Oona M.; McCormick, Mark I. (2013) Ultimate predators: Lionfish have evolved to circumvent prey risk assessment abilities, PLOS ONE 8(10): e75781

Luiz, Osmar J. and 7 authors (2021) Multiple lionfish (Pterois spp.) new occurrences along the Brazilian coast confirm the invasion pathway into the Southwestern Atlantic, Biological Invasions Published online: <missing location>

Luiz, Osmar J. and 7 authors (2021) Multiple lionfish (Pterois spp.) new occurrences along the Brazilian coast confirm the invasion pathway nto the Southwestern Atlantic, Biological Invasions 23: 3013-3019

Luiz, Osmar J.; Floeter, Sergio R.; Rocha, Luiz A.; Ferreira, Carlos E. L. (2013) Perspectives for the lionfish invasion in the South Atlantic: Are Brazilian reefs protected by the currents?, Marine Ecology Progress Series 485: 1-7

Maggioni, Rodrigo; Rocha, Rafael S. ; Viana, Jhonatas T.; Giarrizzo, Tommaso; Rabelo, Emanuelle F. ; Ferreira, Pedro H. C.; Sampaio, Carlos E. L.; Carlos E. L.; Claudio L. S.; Pereira, Pedro H. C.; Rocha, Luiz A.; Tavares, Tallita C. L.; Soares, Marcelo O. S (2023) Genetic diversity patterns of lionfish in the Southwestern Atlantic Ocean reveal a rapidly expanding stepping‑stone bioinvasion process, Scientific Reports 13(13469): Published online
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-40407-y

Maljkovic, A.; Van Leeuwen, T. E.; Cove, S. N. (2008) Predation on the invasive red lionfish, Pterois volitans (Pisces: Scorpaenidae), by native groupers in the Bahamas, Coral Reefs 27: 501

Marsh-Hunkin, K. Erica; Gochfeld, Deborah J.; Slattery, Marc (2013) Antipredator responses to invasive lionfish, Pterois volitans: interspecific differences in cue utilization by two coral reef gobies, Marine Biology 160: 1029-1040

McCard .Monica; South, Josie; Cuthbert , Ross N.; Dickey , James W. E. McCard, Nathan Dick, Jaimie T. A. (2021) Pushing the switch: functional responses and prey switching by invasive lionfish may mediate their ecological impact, Biological Invasions Published online: <missing location>

Meister, H. Scott; Wyanski, Loefer, Joshua K.; Ross, Steve W.; Quattrini, Andrea M.; Sulak, Kenneth J. (2005) Further evidence for the invasion and establishment of Pterois volitans (Teleostei: Scorpaenidae) along the Atlantic Coast of the United States., Southeastern Naturalist 42(2): 193-206

Morris, James A. Jr.; Sullivan, Craig V.; Govoni, John J. (2011) Oogenesis and spawn formation in the invasive lionfish, Pterois miles and Pterois volitans, Scientia Marina 75(1): 147-154

Morris, J.A., Jr.; Whitfield, P.E. (2009) Biology, ecology, control and management of the invasive Indo-Pacific Lionfish: An updated integrated assessment, NOAA Technical Memorandum NOS NCCOS 99: 1-58

Morris, James A. Jr.; Shertzer, Kyle W., Rice, James A. (2011) A stage-based matrix population model of invasive lionfish with implications for control, Biological Invasions 13: 7-12

Morris, James A. Jr.and 8 authors (2009) Biology and ecology of the invasive lionfishes, Pterois miles and Pterois volitans, Proceedings of Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute 61: 409-414

Morris, James A., Jr. (Ed.) (2012) <missing title>, Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute, Marathon, Florida. Pp. <missing location>

Mumby, Peter J.; Harborne, Alastair R.; Brumbaugh, Daniel R. (2011) Grouper as a natural biocontrol of invasive lionfish, PLOS ONE 6(6): e21510

Muñoz, Roldan C.; Currin, Carolyn A.; Whitfield, Paula E. (2011) Diet of invasive lionfish on hard bottom reefs of the Southeast USA: insights from stomach contents and stable isotopes, Marine Ecology Progress Series 432: 181-193

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 2002 Lionfish observed off North Carolina. <missing URL>



Nuttall, Marissa F. and 5 authors (2014) Lionfish (Pterois volitans [Linnaeus, 1758] and P. miles [Bennett, 1828]) records within mesophotic depth ranges on natural banks in the Northwestern Gulf of Mexico, BioInvasions Records 3: in press

Pala, Christopher (2014) As lionfish invade, divers defend threatened ecosystems, Science 343: 591

Pimiento, Catalina; Nifong, James C.; Hunter, Margaret E.; Monaco, Eric; Silliman, Brian R. (2015) Habitat use patterns of the invasive red lionfish Pterois volitans: a comparison between mangrove and reef systems in San Salvador, Bahamas, Marine Ecology 36: 28-37

Raymond, Wendel W.; Albins, Mark A.; Pusack, Timothy J. (2015) Competitive interactions for shelter between invasive Pacific red lionfish and native Nassau grouper, Environmental Biology of Fishes 98: 57-65

Resiere, Dabor and 9 authors (2016) Envenomation by the invasive Pterois volitans species (lionfish) in the French West Indies – a twoyear prospective study in Martinique, Clinical Toxicology 54(4): 313-318

Rocha, Luiz A.; Rocha, Claudia R.; Baldwin, Carole C.; Weigt, Lee A.; McField, Melanie (2015) Invasive lionfish preying on critically endangered reef fish, Coral Reefs 34: 803-806

Ruiz-Carus, Ramon; Matheson, Richard E.; Roberts, Daniel E.; Whitfield, Paula E. (2006) The western Pacific red lionfish, Pterois volitans (Scorpaenidae), in Florida: evidence for reproduction and parasitism in the first exotic marine fish established in state waters., Biological Conservation 128: 384-390

Ruttenberg, Benjamin I. and 7 authors (2012) Rapid invasion of Indo-Pacific lionfishes (Pterois volitans and Pterois miles) in the Florida \Keys, USA: Evidence from multiple pre- and post-invasion data sets, Bulletin of Marine Science 88(4): 1051-1059

Santander-Monsalvo, Jacobo; López-Huerta, Israel; Aguilar-Perera, Alfonso; Tuz-Sulub, Armin (2012) First record of the red lionfish (Pterois volitans [Linnaeus, 1758]) off the coast of Veracruz, Mexico, Bioinvasion Records 1(2): 121-124

Schofield, P. J.; Morris, J. A., Jr.; Akins, L. (2009) <missing title>, US Geological Survey, Gainesville FL. Pp. <missing location>

Schofield, Pamela J. (2009) Geographic extent and chronology of the invasion of non-native lionfish (Pterois volitans [Linnaeus 1758] and P. miles [Bennett 1828]) in the Western North Atlantic and Caribbean Sea, Aquatic Invasions 4(3): 473-479

Schofield, Pamela J. (2010) Update on geographic spread of invasive lionfishes (Pterois volitans [Linnaeus, 1758] and P. miless [Bennett, 1828]) in the Western North Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico, Aquatic Invasions 5(Supplement 1): S117-S122

Schofield, Pamela J.; Huge, Dane H.; Rezek, Troy C.; Slone, Daniel H.; Morris, James A. Jr. (2015) Survival and growth of invasive Indo-Pacific lionfish at low salinities, Aquatic Invasions 10(3): 333-337

Schultz, Eric T. (1986) Pterois volitans and Pterois miles: Two valid species., Copeia 1986(3): 686-690

Scyphers, Steven B. and 8 authors (2014) The role of citizens in detecting and responding to a rapid marine invasion, Conservation Letters Published online: 1-9

Sellers, Andrew J.; Ruiz, Gregory M.; Leung, Brian; Torchin, Mark E. (2015) Regional variation in parasite species richness and abundance in the introduced range of the invasive lionfish, Pterois volitans, PLOS ONE Published online: <missing location>

Semmens, Brice X.; Buhle; Salomon, Anne K.; Pattengill-Semmens (2004) A hotspot of non-native marine fishes: evidence for the aquarium trade as an invasion pathway., Marine Ecology Progress Series 266: 239-244

Sikkel, Paul C.; Tuttle, Lillian J.; Cure, Katherine; Coile, Ann Marie; Hixon, Mark A. (2014) Low susceptibility of invasive red lionfish (Pterois volitans) to a generalist ectoparasite in both its introduced and native ranges, PLOS ONE 9(5): e95854

SmithsonianTropical Research Institiute 2021 SmithsonianTropical Research Institiute Research Portal. <missing URL>



Soares, Marcelo O.; and 36 authors (2023) Lessons from the invasion front: Integration of research and management of the lionfish invasion in Brazil, Journal of Environmental Management 340(117954): Published online
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.117954

Tamburello, N.; Cote, I. M. (2015) Movement ecology of Indo-Pacific lionfish on Caribbean coral reefs and its implications for invasion dynamics, Biological Invasions 17: 1639-1653

Toledo-Hernández, Carlos and 8 authors (2014) Population ecology and genetics of the invasive lionfish in Puerto Rico, Aquatic Invasions 9: in press

U.S. National Museum of Natural History 1996-2014 NMNH Fish Collection Database.. <missing URL>



USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Program 2003-2022 Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Database. https://nas.er.usgs.gov/



Valdez-Moreno, Martha; Quintal-Lizama, Carolina; Gomez-Lozano, Ricardo; Garc?a-Rivas, Mar?a del Carmen (2012) Monitoring an alien invasion: DNA barcoding and the identification of lionfish and their prey on coral reefs of the Mexican Caribbean, PLOS ONE 7(6): e36636

Vasquez-Yeomans, Lourdes (2011) First larval record of Pterois volitans (Pisces: Scorpaenidae) collected from the ichthyoplankton in the Atlantic, Biological Invasions 13: 2635-2640

Whitfield, Paula and 6 authors. (2002) Biological invasion of the Indo-Pacific lionfish Pterois volitans, along the Atlantic coast of North America., Marine Ecology Progress Series 234: 289-297

Whitfield, Paula E.; Hare, Jonathan A.; David, Andrew W.; Harter, Stacey L.; Munõz, Roldan C. ; Addison, Christine M. (2007) Abundance estimates of the Indo-Pacific lionfish Pterois volitans/miles complex in the Western North Atlantic., Biological Invasions 9: 53-64.

Wilcox, Christie L.; Hixon, Mark A. (2015) False positive tests for ciguatera may derail efforts to control invasive lionfish, Environmental Biology of Fishes 98: 961-969

WPEC TV 12 2011 Invasive, destructive lionfish found in Loxahatchee River. <missing URL>