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