Early life ecology of the invasive lionfish (Pterois spp.) in the western Atlantic.

ABSTRACT: The invasion of the western Atlantic by the Indo-Pacific lionfish (Pterois volitans/miles) is a serious threat to the ecological stability of the region. The early life history of the lionfish remains poorly understood despite the important role that larval supply plays reef fish population dynamics. In this study, we characterized patterns in the horizontal and vertical distributions of larval lionfish collected in the western Caribbean, US Caribbean, and the Gulf of Mexico from 19 ichthyoplankton surveys conducted from 2009-2016. Using generalized additive models (GAMs), we assessed the relative effects of spatiotemporal and environmental variation on the distribution of lionfish larvae. We also examined otoliths to determine larval ages and report the first larval growth rate estimates

SUBMITTER: Mostowy J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7728204 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature