Invasive lionfish preying on critically endangered reef fish

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

doi:10.1007/s00338-015-1293-z

Cited by 54 publications

(40 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…4). Therefore, in contrast to the peacock grouper, lionfish may be less likely to threaten prey biodiversity unless they drive prey to such low abundances that they are sensitive to extinction due to demographic stochasticity (sensu Rocha et al 2015;Ingeman 2016). Such an outcome is likely in some locations based on the strong negative effects of lionfish on a wide variety of native prey species (Albins 2013).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Biodiversity effects of the predation gauntlet

et al. 2017

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The ubiquity of trophic downgrading has led to interest in the consequences of mesopredator release on prey communities and ecosystems. This issue is of particular concern for reef-fish communities, where predation is a key process driving ecological and evolutionary dynamics. Here, we synthesize existing experiments that have isolated the effects of mesopredators to quantify the role of predation in driving changes in the abundance and biodiversity of recently settled reef fishes. On average, predators reduced prey abundance through generalist foraging behavior, which, through a statistical sampling artifact, caused a reduction in alpha diversity and an increase in beta diversity. Thus, the synthesized experiments provide evidence that predation reduces overall abundance within prey communities, but-after accounting for sampling effects-does not cause disproportionate effects on biodiversity.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Biodiversity effects of the predation gauntlet

et al. 2017

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“…In general, of the threatened and NT species, the smaller species tend to be more restricted in range and affected by localized threats such as habitat degradation and/or invasive species, whereas larger species tend to be more widely distributed and affected by overexploitation. For example, the threatened Mardi Gras wrasse ( Halichoeres burekae ) and social wrasse ( Halichoeres socialis ) are two restricted‐range, reef‐associated species that are susceptible to predation by the invasive lionfish, and inhabit areas where serious reef degradation has been documented (Rocha, Rocha, Baldwin, Weigt, & McField, ). Two threatened marine catfishes ( Notarius neogranatensis and Sciades parkeri ) and the NT southern flounder ( Paralichthys lethostigma ) also face threats from overexploitation as well as estuarine degradation.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Extinction risk and conservation of marine bony shorefishes of the Greater Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico

Linardich

Ralph

Robertson

et al. 2018

Aquatic Conservation

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Understanding the conservation status of species is important for prioritizing the allocation of resources to redress or reduce biodiversity loss. Regional organizations that manage threats to the marine biodiversity of the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico seek to delineate conservation priorities. This process can be usefully informed by extinction risk assessments conducted under the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List criteria: a widely used, objective method to communicate species‐specific conservation needs. Prior to the recent Red List initiatives summarized in this study, the conservation status was known for just one‐quarter of the 1360 Greater Caribbean marine bony shorefishes. During 10 Red List workshops, experts applied data on species' distributions, populations, habitats, and threats in order to assign an extinction risk category to nearly 1000 shorefishes that range in the Greater Caribbean. As conservation is mostly implemented at national and local levels, two more workshops assessed the Gulf of Mexico populations of 940 shorefishes using the regional Red List guidelines. About 5% of these shorefishes are globally or regionally threatened, including 6% of Greater Caribbean endemics and 26% of Gulf endemics. About 9% of the species are Data Deficient. Species‐richness analyses show that the highest numbers of threatened species endemic to the Greater Caribbean are found in Belize, Panama, and the Cayman Islands. The most pervasive threats to the threatened and Near Threatened species are overexploitation, habitat degradation, and predation by the invasive lionfish. Half of the threatened species are experiencing multiple threats that are likely to amplify extinction risk. Recommended actions, in addition to conducting diversity surveys in lesser explored areas, include improving fishery management, reducing habitat degradation, and controlling lionfish populations.

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“…While G. loreto is not at risk of global extinction because of their broad distribution across the Caribbean, the same cannot be said of restricted‐range endemic species. For example, the critically endangered social wrasse Halichoeres socialis Randall & Lobel 2003, which is found only around the Pelican Cayes in Belize, appears to be a common prey of lionfish in that area (Rocha et al, ). Similarly, the arrival of lionfish in Brazil is causing concern for the many small‐range endemic fishes of the region (Ferreira et al, ).…”

Section: Has the Worst‐case Scenario Come To Pass?mentioning

confidence: 99%

The lionfish Pterois sp. invasion: Has the worst‐case scenario come to pass?

Côté

Smith

2018

Journal of Fish Biology

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This review revisits the traits thought to have contributed to the success of Indo-Pacific lionfish Pterois sp. as an invader in the western Atlantic Ocean and the worst-case scenario about their potential ecological effects in light of the more than 150 studies conducted in the past 5 years. Fast somatic growth, resistance to parasites, effective anti-predator defences and an ability to circumvent predator recognition mechanisms by prey have probably contributed to rapid population increases of lionfish in the invaded range. However, evidence that lionfish are strong competitors is still ambiguous, in part because demonstrating competition is challenging. Geographic spread has likely been facilitated by the remarkable capacity of lionfish for prolonged fasting in combination with other broad physiological tolerances. Lionfish have had a large detrimental effect on native reef-fish populations in the northern part of the invaded range, but similar effects have yet to be seen in the southern Caribbean. Most other envisaged direct and indirect consequences of lionfish predation and competition, even those that might have been expected to occur rapidly, such as shifts in benthic composition, have yet to be realized. Lionfish populations in some of the first areas invaded have started to decline, perhaps as a result of resource depletion or ongoing fishing and culling, so there is hope that these areas have already experienced the worst of the invasion. In closing, we place lionfish in a broader context and argue that it can serve as a new model to test some fundamental questions in invasion ecology.

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Invasive lionfish preying on critically endangered reef fish

Cited by 54 publications

References 18 publications

Biodiversity effects of the predation gauntlet

Biodiversity effects of the predation gauntlet

Extinction risk and conservation of marine bony shorefishes of the Greater Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico

The lionfish Pterois sp. invasion: Has the worst‐case scenario come to pass?

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