Lionfish
Lionfish
Lionfish have invaded US Atlantic coastal waters, the Caribbean Sea, and the Gulf of Mexico with unprecedented, alarming speed. Though reports of sightings date back to the 1980s, it is only recently that the species has exploded in numbers and range. In fact, the lionfish invasion is the first documented case of a non-native marine fish establishing itself in the Western North Atlantic/Caribbean region. The predatory invasive fish negatively impacts its non-native environment, disrupting marine food webs as it preys in coral reef ecosystems on invertebrates and fish, including game fish juveniles, such as snappers and groupers. Lionfish are native to the Indo-Pacific region, and were likely brought to the United States via the pet trade.
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Assessing Risk Communication in the Pet and Aquarium Trade: An Analysis of Outreach and Engagement Efforts
WARC researchers evaluated whether outreach campaigns targeting pet owners are effectively reaching their desired audiences, namely pet owners who might unintentionally or purposefully release their pet into the wild.
Early Detection and Rapid Response: Removal of Newly Introduced Non-native Marine Fishes to Prevent Invasions
USGS WARC works with partners on early detection and rapid response (ED/RR) efforts, rapidly removing newly introduced non-native marine fishes from Florida’s coastal waters to prevent invasions.
Non-native Marine Fishes: Tracking Distributions with the USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Database
WARC scientists work with local partners to verify and document sightings of non-native marine fishes.
Lionfish Distribution, Geographic Spread, Biology, and Ecology
Many aspects of lionfish biology are studied at the USGS Wetland and Aquatic Research Center. As part of the U.S. Geological Survey Nonindigenous Aquatic Species database, the distribution of lionfish is tracked over time.