Invasion
Invasion Description
1st Record: off Dania/FL/Atlantic Ocean (1985, USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Program 2014);
Geographic Extent
at Jupiter inlet, 2 miles out and 1 mile south/FL/Atlantic Ocean (2001, USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Programs 2009); ~ 22 nautical mi SE of Port Canaveral/FL/Atlantic Ocean (2006, USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Program, 28.1385 N, 80.2209 W); Sewells Point/FL/St. Lucie River (9/13/2010, 27.1715, -80.186, USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Program 2010); Jupiter/FL/3 miles inside the Loxahatchee River (6/22/2011, WPEC TV http://www.cbs12.com/articles/lionfish-4733293-fla-river.html; Jud et al. 2011); Boca Raton/FL/Atlantic Ocean (1995, Courtenay 1997, CUSGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Program 2009); FL/Lake Worth Pier/FL/Atlantic Ocean (1995, Courtenay 1997, USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Program 2009); Palm Beach/FL/Atlantic Ocean (2003, USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Program, N 26' 42.383; W 080' 00.980); off Dania/FL/Atlantic Ocean (1985, USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Program 2014); Miami area/FL/Biscayne Bay (1992, Courtenay 1997, Whitfield et al. 2002; USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Programs 2009) Benwood Ledge off of Key Largo/FL/Atlantic Ocean (1/2009, USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Programs 2009 2009); Wellwood Restoration Site, Molasses Reef, Key Largo/FL/Atlantic Ocean (3/30/2009; USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Programs 2009 2009); on the wreck Northern Light [E of Key Largo]/FL/Atlantic Ocean (4/30/2009, USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Program 2009); WNW of Key West/FL/Gulf of Mexico (7/2010, Schofield et al. 2010); north of Layton in Everglades National Park/FL/Florida Bay (8/8/2010, USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Program 2010); Treasure Island, Pinellas Co./FL/Gulf of Mexico (10/2006, USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Programs 2006); off Cortez (Manatee County)/FL/Gulf of Mexico (8/8/2010, USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Program 2010, 27.4833 N, -82.9 W); W of Loggerhead Key at Great Every Time dive site, Dry Tortugas/FL/Gulf of Mexico (9/11/09, USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Program 2009); 5 miles east of the Empire Mica dive site/FL/Gulf of Mexico (10/1/2010, USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Program, 29.19 N,-85.16 W); approx 12 miles SE of Carabelle/FL/Gulf of Mexico (2014, USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Program 2014, 3 records in vicinity); Gulf County, South of Black's Island /FL/St. Josephs Bay, Gulf of Mexico (8/23/2011, USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Program 2014); Bay County/FL/Saint Andrew Bay, Gulf of Mexico (2011-2014, USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Program 2014, ~20 records in vicinity); Okaloosa County, about 16 miles south of Ft. Walton Beach/FL/Gulf of Mexico (10/17/2010, USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Program 2010, 30.15201N, -86.74545 W); George Wilkins Artificial Reef (concrete reefballs); Gulf of Mexico, FL-AL/off Choctawhatchee-Mobile Bays (Dahl and Patterson 2014); about 20 miles south of Pensacola (Escambia county)/FL/Gulf of Mexico (9/9/2009, USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Program 2010); Gulf Island National Seashore, near pier structure, 25 m from shore/FL/Gulf of Mexico (6/7/2012, USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Program 2014, ~20 records in vicinity, ~12 spearfisher sightings, Scyphers et al. 2014); just north of the Perdido Bay bridge on the west bank/FL/Perdido Bay, Gulf of Mexico (11/26/2010, USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Program 2014, ~10 additinal records in vicinity, ~12 spearfisher sightings, Scypher et al. 2014); Army tank #65 about 34 miles SSE of Dauphin Island/AL/Gulf of Mexico (9/12/2010, USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Program 2010); about 50 km S of Mobile Bay/AL/Gulf of Mexico (5/30/2012, Brown-Peterson and Hendon 2013); AL/offshore of Mobile Bay to 200 m contour (~15 spearfisher sightings, Scyohers et al. 2014); oil and gas platform WD-73-DQ/LA/Gulf of Mexico (9/10/2010, USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Program 2010); Gulfport Courthouse Pier/MS/Gulf of Mexico 2013 (5/18/2013, USGS USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Program 2014); Offshore spearfisher sighting, Scyohers et al. 2013);~12 offshore records/LA/Gulf of Mexico (2010-2014, USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Program 2014); off LA/Gulf of Mexico (6-7/2011, Kitchen et al. 2017, capture of larvae, 28-29 N, 88-89 N, 3 larvae); Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary/LA-TX/Gulf of Mexico (8/14/2011, deLapp 2011, sightings by divers); Horeshoe Bank-Alderdice Bank/off TX-LA/Gulf of Mexico (2011-2013, Nuttall et al. 2014, 27°49'N, 93°41'W to 28°05'N 92°00'W, 58-102 m depth); Texas Clipper, about 19 miles off South Padre Island/TX/Gulf of Mexico (9/25/2011, USGS Nonindigenous Species Program 2011); La Pesca, Tamaulipas/Mexico/Laguna de Morales, Gulf of Mexico (2016, Arellanos-Mendez et a. 2017, 22º29?32.42?N; 97º50?23.10?W),); Anegada de Adentro Coral Reef, Veracruz/Mexico/Gulf of Mexico (1/12/2012, Santander-Monsalvo et al. 2012, 19º13?0.7?N; 96º03?25?W); Pacharela Reef, north of Yucatan Peninsula,/Mexico//Gulf of Mexico (12/29/2009, USGS Center for Aquatic Resource Studies 2010; Aguilar-Perera and Tuz-Sulub 2010, 22.472 N, -90.2372): La Cordillera reef platform, off N coast Yucatan peninsula/Mexico/Gulf of Mexico, (5/25/2010, USGS Nonindigenous Species Program 2010), 22.2217; -90.7233)
Vectors
Level | Vector |
---|---|
Alternate | Pet Release |
Probable | Ballast Water |
Regional Impacts
Ecological Impact | Competition | |
A native predator, Cephalopholis cruentata consumed less prey in areas of high lionfish density, but condition of the native fish was not affected (Curtis et al. 2017). | ||
Ecological Impact | Predation | |
Lionfishes in natural habitats and artificial reefs consumed a wide range of fish and invertebrate prey, with increasing piscivory in larger fish. Thirty-three species of prey were identified (Dahl and Patterson 304; Dahl et al. 2017). Modeling indicates that populations of several important grouper and snapper species (particularly Epinephelus morio Red Grouper) could be affected by high predicted abundances of lionfish off the Florida peninsula and Texas Gulf Coast (Johnston et al. 2017). Caging experiments in the Loxahatchee estuary of the Indian River Lagoon found that Lionfish caused a 90% reduction in Grass Shrimp (Palaemon) abundance, and a general reduction of benthic invertebrate abundance and diversity (Layman et al. 2014). Experimental studies and modeling indicate that P. volitians had a higher predation impact than two native predators (Epinephalus morio, Red Grouper; Cephalopholis cruentata, Graysby Grouper), because of the combination of high predator efficiency and high abundance (DeRoy et al. 2020). | ||
Economic Impact | Fisheries | |
Modeling indicates that populations of several commercially important grouper and snapper species (particularly Epinephelus morio Red Grouper) could be affected by high predicted abundances of lionfish off the Florida peninsula and Texas Gulf Coast. Control methods should be focused on these areas (Johnston et al. 2017). | ||