Skip to main content

Is the lionfish invasion waning? Evidence from The Bahamas

Coral Reefs volume 36, pages 1255–1261 (2017)Cite this article

Abstract

Indo-Pacific lionfishes (Pterois volitans/miles) have undergone rapid population growth and reached extremely high densities in parts of the invaded Atlantic. However, their long-term population trends in areas without active management programs are unknown. Since 2005, we have monitored lionfish abundance in the Exuma Cays of the central Bahamas on 64 reefs ranging in size from 1 to 4000 m2. Lionfish densities increased from the first sighting in 2005 through 2009, leveled off between 2010 and 2011, and then began to decrease. By 2015, densities had noticeably declined on most of these reefs, despite a lack of culling or fishing efforts in this part of The Bahamas. There was no consistent change in lionfish size structure through time. We discuss possible causes of the decline, including reductions in larval supply or survival, hurricanes, interactions with native species, and intraspecific interactions. Further studies are required to determine whether the declines will persist. In the meantime, we recommend that managers continue efforts to control invasive lionfish abundances locally.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution.

Access options

Buy single article

Instant access to the full article PDF.

USD 39.95

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

References

  • Albins MA (2013) Effects of invasive Pacific red lionfish Pterois volitans versus a native predator on Bahamian coral-reef fish communities. Biol Invasions 15:29–43

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Albins M (2015) Invasive Pacific lionfish Pterois volitans reduce abundance and species richness of native Bahamian coral-reef fishes. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 522:231–243

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Albins MA, Hixon MA (2008) Invasive Indo-Pacific lionfish Pterois volitans reduce recruitment of Atlantic coral-reef fishes. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 367:233–238

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Albins MA, Hixon MA (2013) Worst case scenario: potential long-term effects of invasive predatory lionfish (Pterois volitans) on Atlantic and Caribbean coral-reef communities. Environ Biol Fishes 96:1151–1157

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barbour AB, Allen MS, Frazer TK, Sherman KD (2011) Evaluating the potential efficacy of invasive lionfish (Pterois volitans) removals. PLoS One 6:e19666

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Bates D, Maechler M, Bolker B, Walker S (2014) lme4: linear mixed-effects models using Eigen and S4. R Package Version 11-7

  • Bates D, Maechler M, Bolker B, Walker S (2015). Fitting linear mixed-effects models using lme4. J Stat Softw 67:1–48

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Beets J, Hixon MA (1994) Distribution, persistence, and growth of groupers (Pisces: Serranidae) on artificial and natural patch reefs in the Virgin Islands. Bull Mar Sci 55:470–483

    Google Scholar 

  • Benkwitt CE (2013) Density-dependent growth in invasive lionfish (Pterois volitans). PLoS One 8:e66995

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Benkwitt CE (2015) Non-linear effects of invasive lionfish density on native coral-reef fish communities. Biol Invasions 17:1383–1395

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Benkwitt CE (2016) Central-place foraging and ecological effects of an invasive predator across multiple habitats. Ecology 97:2729–2739

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bøhn T, Terje Sandlund O, Amundsen PA, Primicerio R (2004) Rapidly changing life history during invasion. Oikos 106:138–150

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carr MH, Hixon MA (1997) Artificial reefs: the importance of comparisons with natural reefs. Fisheries 22:28–33

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Côté IM, Green SJ, Hixon MA (2013a) Predatory fish invaders: insights from Indo-Pacific lionfish in the western Atlantic and Caribbean. Biol Conserv 164:50–61

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Côté I, Green S, Morris J, Akins J, Steinke D (2013b) Diet richness of invasive Indo-Pacific lionfish revealed by DNA barcoding. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 472:249–256

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dahl KA, Patterson WF (2014) Habitat-specific density and diet of rapidly expanding invasive red lionfish, Pterois volitans, populations in the northern Gulf of Mexico. PLoS One 9:e105852

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Dahl KA, Patterson WF, Snyder RA (2016) Experimental assessment of lionfish removals to mitigate reef fish community shifts on northern Gulf of Mexico artificial reefs. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 558:207–221

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • de León R, Vane K, Bertuol P, Chamberland VC, Simal F, Imms E, Vermeij MJA (2013) Effectiveness of lionfish removal efforts in the southern Caribbean. Endanger Species Res 22:175–182

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ellis RD, Faletti ME (2016) Native grouper indirectly ameliorates the negative effects of invasive lionfish. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 558:267–279

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Frazer TK, Jacoby CA, Edwards MA, Barry SC, Manfrino CM (2012) Coping with the lionfish invasion: can targeted removals yield beneficial effects? Rev Fish Sci 20:185–191

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Green SJ, Côté IM (2009) Record densities of Indo-Pacific lionfish on Bahamian coral reefs. Coral Reefs 28:107

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Green SJ, Akins JL, Maljković A, Côté IM (2012) Invasive lionfish drive Atlantic coral reef fish declines. PloS One 7:e32596

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Green SJ, Dulvy NK, Brooks AML, Akins JL, Cooper AB, Miller S, Côté IM (2014) Linking removal targets to the ecological effects of invaders: a predictive model and field test. Ecol Appl 24:1311–1322

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gutowsky LFG, Fox MG (2011) Occupation, body size and sex ratio of round goby (Neogobius melanostomus) in established and newly invaded areas of an Ontario river. Hydrobiologia 671:27–37

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hackerott S, Valdivia A, Green SJ, Côté IM, Cox CE, Akins L, Layman CA, Precht WF, Bruno JF (2013) Native predators do not influence invasion success of Pacific lionfish on Caribbean reefs. PLoS One 8:e68259

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Ingeman K, Webster M (2015) Native prey mortality increases but remains density dependent following lionfish invasion. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 531:241–252

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Johnston MW, Purkis SJ (2015) A coordinated and sustained international strategy is required to turn the tide on the Atlantic lionfish invasion. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 533:219–235

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kindinger TL, Albins MA (2017) Consumptive and non-consumptive effects of an invasive marine predator on native coral-reef herbivores. Biol Invasions 19:131–146

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lesser MP, Slattery M (2011) Phase shift to algal dominated communities at mesophotic depths associated with lionfish (Pterois volitans) invasion on a Bahamian coral reef. Biol Invasions 13:1855–1868

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Maljković A, Leeuwen TE, Cove SN (2008) Predation on the invasive red lionfish, Pterois volitans (Pisces: Scorpaenidae), by native groupers in the Bahamas. Coral Reefs 27:501

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Morris JA, Shertzer KW, Rice JA (2010) A stage-based matrix population model of invasive lionfish with implications for control. Biol Invasions 13:7–12

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • O’Farrell S, Bearhop S, McGill RAR, Dahlgren CP, Brumbaugh DR, Mumby PJ (2014) Habitat and body size effects on the isotopic niche space of invasive lionfish and endangered Nassau grouper. Ecosphere 5:123

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Phillips BL, Shine R (2005) The morphology, and hence impact, of an invasive species (the cane toad, Bufo marinus): changes with time since colonisation. Anim Conserv 8:407–413

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pusack TJ, Benkwitt CE, Cure K, Kindinger TL (2016) Invasive red lionfish (Pterois volitans) grow faster in the Atlantic Ocean than in their native Pacific range. Environ Biol Fishes 99:571–579

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • R Core Team (2013) R: a language and environment for statistical computing. R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna

    Google Scholar 

  • Raymond WW, Albins MA, Pusack TJ (2015) Competitive interactions for shelter between invasive Pacific red lionfish and native Nassau grouper. Environ Biol Fishes 98:57–65

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ruttenberg BI, Schofield PJ, Akins JL, Acosta A, Feeley MW, Blondeau J, Smith SG, Ault JS (2012) Rapid invasion of Indo-Pacific lionfishes (Pterois volitans and Pterois miles) in the Florida Keys, USA: evidence from multiple pre- and post-invasion data sets. Bull Mar Sci 88:1051–1059

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schofield PJ (2010) Update on geographic spread of invasive lionfishes (Pterois volitans [Linnaeus, 1758] and P. miles [Bennett, 1828]) in the western north Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico. Aquat Invasions 5:S117–S122

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sellers AJ, Ruiz GM, Leung B, Torchin ME (2015) Regional variation in parasite species richness and abundance in the introduced range of the invasive lionfish, Pterois volitans. PLoS One 10:e0131075

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Simberloff D, Gibbons L (2004) Now you see them, now you don’t!–population crashes of established introduced species. Biol Invasions 6:161–172

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stallings CD (2009) Fishery-independent data reveal negative effect of human population density on Caribbean predatory fish communities. PLoS One 4:e5333

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Torchin ME, Mitchell CE (2004) Parasites, pathogens, and invasions by plants and animals. Front Ecol Environ 2:183–190

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tuttle LJ, Sikkel PC, Cure K, Hixon MA (2017) Parasite-mediated enemy release and low biotic resistance may facilitate invasion of Atlantic coral reefs by Pacific red lionfish (Pterois volitans). Biol Invasions 19:563–575

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Valdez-Moreno M, Quintal-Lizama C, Gómez-Lozano R, del Carmen García-Rivas M (2012) Monitoring an alien invasion: DNA barcoding and the identification of lionfish and their prey on coral reefs of the Mexican Caribbean. PLoS One 7:e36636

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Whitfield PE, Gardner T, Vives SP, Gilligan MR, Courtenay WR Jr, Ray GC, Hare JA (2002) Biological invasion of the Indo-Pacific lionfish Pterois volitans along the Atlantic coast of North America. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 235:289–297

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zuur AF, Ieno EN, Walker NJ, Saveliev AA, Smith GM (2009) Mixed effects models and extensions in ecology with R. Springer, New York

    Book  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This research was funded by the US National Science Foundation Grants OCE 05-50709, 08-51162 and 12-33027 awarded to M.A. Hixon. We thank the Perry Institute for Marine Science for providing field support until closing in 2012, as well as Dr. Pamela Reid and the Bahamas Marine EcoCentre who supported our field research in 2015. There were also numerous laboratory members, research assistants and interns who helped with data collection and management over the years.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Integrative Biology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA

    Cassandra E. Benkwitt, Mark A. Albins, Kurt E. Ingeman, Tye L. Kindinger, Timothy J. Pusack, Christopher D. Stallings & Mark A. Hixon

  2. Department of Biology, California State University, Northridge, CA, 91330, USA

    Cassandra E. Benkwitt

  3. Department of Marine Sciences, University of South Alabama - Dauphin Island Sea Lab, Dauphin Island, AL, 36528, USA

    Mark A. Albins

  4. Research Office, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA

    Kevin L. Buch

  5. Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, USA

    Kurt E. Ingeman

  6. Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, 95060, USA

    Tye L. Kindinger

  7. College of Marine Science, University of South Florida, Saint Petersburg, FL, 33701, USA

    Timothy J. Pusack & Christopher D. Stallings

  8. Williams-Mystic Maritime Studies, Williams College, Mystic, CT, 06533, USA

    Timothy J. Pusack

  9. Department of Biology, University of Hawai‘i, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA

    Mark A. Hixon

Authors
  1. Cassandra E. Benkwitt
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Mark A. Albins
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Kevin L. Buch
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Kurt E. Ingeman
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Tye L. Kindinger
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Timothy J. Pusack
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Christopher D. Stallings
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Mark A. Hixon
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Cassandra E. Benkwitt.

Additional information

Communicated by Biology Editor Dr. Andrew Hoey

Electronic supplementary material

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

Supplementary material 1 (PDF 5144 kb)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Benkwitt, C.E., Albins, M.A., Buch, K.L. et al. Is the lionfish invasion waning? Evidence from The Bahamas. Coral Reefs 36, 1255–1261 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-017-1620-7

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-017-1620-7

Keywords

  • Habitat scaling
  • Marine invasion
  • Population growth
  • Time series