Indo-Pacific lionfish are larger and more abundant on invaded reefs: a comparison of Kenyan and Bahamian lionfish populations |
| |
Authors: | Emily S Darling Stephanie J Green Jennifer K O’Leary Isabelle M Côté |
| |
Institution: | (1) Earth to Ocean Research Group, Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC, V5A 1S6, Canada;(2) National Centre for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, 735 State Street, Suite 300, Santa Barbara, CA 93101, USA |
| |
Abstract: | The invasion by Indo-Pacific lionfish (Pterois volitans and P. miles) of the western Atlantic, Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico is emerging as a major threat to coral reef communities across the
region. Comparing native and introduced populations of invasive species can reveal shifts in ecology and behaviour that can
accompany successful invasions. Using standardized field surveys replicated at multiple sites in Kenya and the Bahamas, we
present the first direct comparisons of lionfish density, body size, biomass and behaviour between native and invaded coral
reefs. We found that lionfish occur at higher densities with larger body sizes and total biomass on invaded Bahamian coral
reefs than the ecologically equivalent species (P. miles) does on native Kenyan reefs. However, the combined average density of the five lionfish species (Pterois miles, P. antennata, P. radiata, Dendrochirus brachypterus and D. zebra) on Kenyan reefs was similar to the density of invasive lionfish in the Bahamas. Understanding the ecological processes that
drive these differences can help inform the management and control of invasive lionfish. |
| |
Keywords: | |
本文献已被 SpringerLink 等数据库收录! |
|