invasive lionfish

Northwest Fisheries Science Center | Gulf of Mexico Red Snapper Individual Fishing Quota

U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NOAA recognizes that invasive species have a profound effect on aquatic ecosystems and is working to protect our coasts from these invaders. NOAA Invasive Species Efforts at a Glance:

•Co-chairoftheAquaticNuisanceSpeciesTaskForceandtheNationalInvasiveSpeciesCouncil•Coordinatesprevention,earlydetection,rapidresponse,control,andmonitoringprogramsnationwide•Conductsandsupportsinvasivespeciesbiologicalandecologicalassessmentsandhabitatrestoration

StatusTheIndo-Pacificlionfish(PteroismilesandP.volitans)werefirstdetectedalongFloridacoastsinthemid-1980sandarenowwellestablishedthroughoutmostoftheCaribbeantoCapeHatteras,NorthCarolina.JuvenilelionfishhavealsobeenfoundasfarnorthasNewYorkandRhodeIsland,thoughestablishmentandinvasionnorthofCapeHatterasisunlikelybecauselionfishcannottoleratethecoldnorthernwaters.NOAA’sNationalCenterforCoastalOceanSciencefirstdocumentedtheestablishmentofIndo-PacificlionfishintheAtlanticandisleadingNOAA’seffortstostudythelionfishinvasion.NOAAisaccomplishingitsresearchmissionsonlionfishthroughstrongcol-laborationswiththeReefEnvironmentalandEducationFoundation(www.reef.org)andtheUnitedStatesGeologicalSurvey(www.usgs.gov).

Why are we concerned?Intheirnativerange,lionfishpopulationsarecontrolledbypredation,competition,anddisease.IntheAtlantic,GulfofMexico,andCaribbeantheyencounterfewpreda-torsandarecapableofreproductionyear-roundinwarmwaters.Lionfishareaggres-sivepredatorsandhaverapidlyincreasedinnumber.Recentstudieshavedocumentedsignificantimpactstonativefishcommunitiesfromlionfishpredation.Lionfishoccupythesametrophicpositionaseconomicallyimportantspecies(e.g.,snapperandgrouper)andmayhampernativefishstockrecoveryeffortsandcoralreefconservationmeasures.

How is NOAA responding to the invasion?NOAAisleadingmanyresearchprojectstoassessthebiologyandecologyofthisinvasivespeciesandtoinformcoastalmanagersofthethreatandpossiblelocalcontrolactions.WorkingwithpartnersattheAquaticNuisanceSpeciesTaskForce,NOAAisalsodevelopingaNationalLionfishManagementPlan.NOAA’sOfficeofNationalMa-rineSanctuarieshasalsodevelopedalionfishmanagementplantoguidetheprevention,earlydetection,control,management,andresearchattheFloridaKeys,FlowerGar-denBanks,andGray’sReefNationalMarineSanctuaries.NOAAisalsoworkingwithpartnersinternationallytodevelopbestmanagementpracticesinthewiderCaribbeanregionandisalsoorganizinglionfishderbiestoremovelionfishfromSanctuarywaters.

Invasive Lionfish

Lionfish Life History:Range:InvasivealongtheSoutheastU.S.,GulfofMexico,andCaribbean.

Maximum size:47cm(19”)

Life span:upto30years

Reproduction:Femalesmayspawnevery3-4daysreleasingover2millioneggsperyear

Prey: Generalistpredatorswhoprimarilyconsumefishandsomecrustaceans

Predators:fewtonone.

Distinguishing characteristics: Bothspecieslookidenticalandhavelargeflowingfinswithvenomousspines.Theyareunmistakable.

NOAA Aquatic Invasive Species Fact Sheet

Northwest Fisheries Science Center | Gulf of Mexico Red Snapper Individual Fishing Quota

U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Common names:

Lionfish,zebrafish,firefish,turkeyfish,redlionfish,butterflycod,ornatebutterfly-cod,peacocklionfish,redfirefish,scorpionvolitans

How are lionfish identified?

Lionfisharewhiteorcreamcoloredwithdistinctivered/brownverticalstripescoveringtheheadandbody.Theverticalstripesalternatefromwidetothinandsometimesmergealongtheflanktoforma“V.”Lionfishhavefan-likepectoralfinsandlongseparateddorsalspines.Anadultlionfishcangrowaslargeas18inches,whilejuvenilesmaybe4inchesorless.

Where did they come from?

LionfisharenativethroughouttheSouthPacificandIndianOceans.ThenativedistributioncoversaverylargeareafromwesternAustraliaandMalaysiaeasttoFrenchPolynesiaandthePitcairnIslands,northtoJapanandsouthernKorea,andsouthtothecoastsofeasternAustraliaandwesternNewZealand.TheyarealsofoundthroughoutMicronesia.Intheirnativehabitat,lionfishresidenearcoralreefsandrockyoutcropsfrom10-175metersdeep.

Interesting Facts:

NOAAlaunchedan“EatLionfish”campaignaimedatpromotingconsumptionoflionfish.InpartnershipwiththeReefEnvironmentalEducationFoundation(REEF)andothers,NOAAispromotinglionfishasasustainableseafoodchoicethroughmultiplemediaoutlets.

NOAAandREEFhavebeenpartneringsince2009toremovelionfishfromtheFloridaKeysNationalMarineSanctuary.Lionfishderbiesareaneffectivewaytoraiseawarenessofthelionfishinvasionthroughpublicparticipation.

Ecological role:Becauselionfishareslow-movingandconspicuous,theyrelyontheirunusualcolorationandfinstodiscouragewould-bepredators.LionfisharenowoneofthetoppredatorsofcoralandhardbottomreefsofthetropicalAtlantic.Lionfishconsumemorethan70speciesofnativefish.Theyareactivehunterswhousetheiroutstretched,fan-likepectoralfinstoslowlypursueandcornertheirprey.

Behavior:Lionfishfeedusingavarietyofbehaviorssuchaspreystalking,corrallingpreyingroups,ambushing,andcorneringpreywiththeirlargepectoralfins.Theymoveaboutbyslowlyundulatingthesoftraysofthedorsalandanalfins.Duringthedaytheycanbefoundunderneathledgesandcrevicesamongcoral,rocks,andartificialreefs.

Economic importance:LionfishareafoodfishintheirnativerangeandarealsobeingconsumedintheAtlan-tic.Effortstocontrollionfishbymarketingthemasfoodfisharehappeningthroughouttheirintroducedrange.Lionfisharealsobe-ingharvestedasjuvenilesfortheaquariumtrade.TheirpopularityasaquariumfishislikelythereasontheyarenowestablishedinthewarmwatersinthesoutheasternU.S.InAugust2014,thestateofFloridabannedtheimportoflionfishtohelpavoidfurtherintroductionsintostatewatersandtoassistwithlionfishcontroleffortsinFlorida.

Invasive lionfish feeding on a coral reef.

Confirmed sightings of invasive lionfish throughout the Atlantic, Gulf, and Caribbean. Map courtesy of United States Geological Survey.

NOAA Aquatic Invasive Species Fact Sheet | Invasive Lionfish