Diet Composition by Habitat of Invasive Lionfish
in Biscayne National Park, Florida
Sarah M.
1Graduate
1
Doty ,
Antony S.
1
Harold ,
Peter R.
Program in Marine Biology, College of Charleston
2
Kingsley-Smith ,
2South
James A. Morris,
Carolina Department of Natural Resources
3
Jr. ,
and Gorka
3National
1
Sancho
Ocean Service, NOAA
ABSTRACT
The Indo-Pacific lionfish (Pterois volitans / miles) is an invasive marine fish that
has become established in the Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, and western North
Atlantic Ocean along the southeast coast of the United States. Lionfish have
long, venomous spines in their dorsal, pelvic, and anal fins that serve as a defense
against potential predators, and are known to be voracious, opportunistic
predators that consume a variety of invertebrates and small reef fishes. Several
studies have shown that the presence of lionfish can significantly reduce reef fish
abundance, diversity, and recruitment.
The original proposal was intended to investigate the diet composition of lionfish
on South Carolina artificial reefs. After two sampling seasons and one year of
study, however, insufficient sample quantities had been collected locally (n < 20).
As a new approach, samples (n > 1100) collected from Biscayne National Park
(BNP) since June 2010 have now been provided by collaborators from the
National Park Service, providing sufficient material to investigate questions
regarding the relationships between lionfish diet and habitat type.
This will be the first lionfish study specifically targeting BNP. The study site
encompasses a wide variety of habitats including shallow patch reefs, deep shelf
ledges, wreck sites, and anthropogenic structure. Using BNP benthic mapping
data in conjunction with lionfish stomach content analyses, lionfish diet will be
characterized by fish size and habitat to provide a better understanding of the
ecology of lionfish within the Park and to inform future lionfish management
decisions.
INTRODUCTION – LIONFISH BIOLOGY
ORIGINAL PROPOSAL – SOUTH CAROLINA
NEW PROPOSAL - FLORIDA
OBJECTIVES
PROPOSED OBJECTIVES
 Family Scorpaenidae
– Pterois volitans
– Pterois miles
 Native to Indo-Pacific, invasive in1-3
– Caribbean
– Gulf of Mexico
– Southeast US
 Prolific spawners4,5
– Sexually mature within first year
– Reproductively active year-round
NOAA
– Capable of spawning every 4 days
 Voracious predators6-8
– ~25,000 eggs per spawning event
– Opportunistic generalists
– Buoyant egg masses = high dispersal
o 40+ families of fishes
4
 Few, if any, predators
• Serranidae (basses, groupers)
– Aposematic coloration
• Haemulidae (grunts)
– Fins fan out to double apparent size
• Carangidae (jacks)
– Venomous spines
• Lutjanidae (snappers)
9,10
 Novel hunting tactics
• Blenniidae (blennies)
– “Corral” prey with pectoral fins
• Labridae (wrasses)
– Blow jets of water
• Pomacentridae (damselfishes)
– Hunt at fish “cleaning stations”
• Gobiidae (gobies)
NOAA
• Grammatidae (basslets)
• Apogonidae (cardinalfishes)
o Invertebrates
• Crustacea (shrimps, crabs)
• Mollusca (cephalopods)
– Stomach expands to 30x empty vol.
 Reduce reef fish recruitment by 80%11
– Competition with native species
– Direct predation on juveniles
1. Characterize lionfish seasonal feeding ecology on warm-temperate artificial
reefs.
a. Do lionfish exhibit diet shifts based on seasonal availability of prey?
b. How does lionfish feeding ecology on artificial reefs compare to that on
natural, hard-bottom reefs?
2. Examine lionfish repopulation rates.
a. Do lionfish repopulate areas from which they have been removed?
b. If yes, how soon after removal do lionfish recolonize a previously-occupied
area?
BISCAYNE NATIONAL PARK
SAMPLING PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED
 Lionfish are difficult to collect
– Not effectively captured via traditional methods (e.g. hook & line, trawling)
– Sampling requires diving & spearfishing or netting specimens
 Found in deep, offshore reefs
– Depths of 80+ ft.
o Limited dive time (≤ 30 min)
– 20+ nautical miles offshore
o Expensive ($600+ per trip)
o Heavily affected by adverse weather
• Hurricane effects
» Beryl
» Debbie
• Rough seas
– Boat issues
 Lack of public knowledge / interest
– Unknown by non-diving public
– Recreational divers interested in collecting game fishes (e.g. groupers, hogfish)
RESULTS
REFERENCES
1. Whitfield PE et al. (2002) Biological invasion of the Indo-Pacific lionfish Pterois volitans along the Atlantic coast of North America. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 235:289-297
2. Meister HS et al. (2005) Further evidence for the invasion and establishment of Pterois volitans (Teleostei: Scorpaenidae) along the Atlantic coast of the United States. Southeast Nat 4(2):193-206
3. Schofield PJ (2009) Geographic extent and chronology of the invasion of non-native lionfish (Pterois volitans [Linnaeus 1758] and P. miles [Bennett 1828]) in the Western North Atlantic and Caribbean Sea. Aquat
Invasions 4(3):473-479
4. Morris JA J (2009) The biology and ecology of the invasive Indo-Pacific lionfish. PhD Dissertation, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, p 1-168
5. Morris JAJ et al. (2009) Biology and ecology of the invasive lionfishes, Pterois miles and Pterois volitans. Proc Gulf Carib Fish Inst 61:409-414
6. Morris JAJ, Akins JL (2009) Feeding ecology of invasive lionfish (Pterois volitans) in the Bahamian archipelago. Environ Biol Fish 86:389-398
7. Muñoz RC et al. (2011) Diet of invasive lionfish on hard bottom reefs of the Southeast USA: Insights from stomach contents and stable isotopes. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 432:181-193
8. Fishelson L (1997) Experiments and observations on food consumption, growth, and starvation in Dendrochirus brachypterus and Pterois volitans (Pteroinae, Scorpaenidae). Environ Biol Fish 50:391-403
9. Albins MA, Lyons PJ (2012) Invasive red lionfish Pterois volitans blow directed jets of water at prey fish. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 448:1-5
10. Cote IM, Maljkovic A (2010) Predation rates of Indo-Pacific lionfish on Bahamian coral reefs. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 404:219-225
11. 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
RESEARCH POSTER PRESENTATION DESIGN © 2011
www.PosterPresentations.com
1. Characterize lionfish diet composition by habitat in Biscayne National Park
(BNP).
a. How does lionfish diet on artificial substrates (e.g. wrecks, anthropogenic
structure) compare to natural substrates (e.g. reefs) in BNP?
b. Do lionfish exhibit seasonal diet shifts in BNP?
2. Examine lionfish ontogenetic resource partitioning in BNP.
a. Do lionfish exhibit an ontogenetic diet shift in BNP?
b. Do lionfish exhibit an ontogenetic shift in habitat preference in BNP?
 Current number of collected samples is insufficient (n < 20) for analysis.
CONCLUSION
 A fieldwork-intensive project is a lesson in Murphy’s Law.
 BNP thought to be one of first introduction points3 but not yet studied
 Collection began in June 2010
– 1100+ samples
– Year-round collection
– 3-42 cm TL
 Multiple artificial and natural habitats
BNP Habitats
Artificial
Natural
Wrecks
Patch reefs
House stilts
Spur & grooves
Sea walls
Cuts & channels
Dock pilings
Seagrass beds
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
 SCDNR
– Bob Martore
– Ryan Yaden
– Marcel Reichert
– Sarah Goldman
– Dawn Glasgow
– David Wyanski
– Michelle Taliercio
– R/V Palmetto crew
 National Park Service
– Anna Toline
– Vanessa McDonough
 Jennifer Poore, Express Watersports
 John Baker, Scuba John’s Dive Shop
 Sally Robinson, Charleston Scuba
 Victor Dupuis, Lowcountry Scuba
 Arnold Postell, SC Aquarium
 Dan Zurlo, former CofC undergraduate