Dataset Information

Total mercury concentrations in invasive lionfish (Pterois volitans/miles) from the Atlantic coast of Florida.

ABSTRACT: Invasive lionfish (Pterois volitans/miles) pose a serious threat to marine ecosystems throughout the western Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea. The development of a fishery for lionfish has been proposed as a strategy for controlling populations; however, there is concern about consumption of this species by humans due to its high trophic position and potential for bioaccumulation of mercury. We analyzed total mercury (THg) in tissues of lionfish from two locations on the east coast of Florida. THg in lionfish increased with size and differed by location and sex. THg was highest in muscle tissue and was strongly positively correlated among tissues. THg in lionfish was lower than other commonly consumed marine fishes, and falls into Florida's least restrictive advisory level. Consumption of lionfish poses a low risk and concerns over mercury bioaccumulation should not present a significant barrier to lionfish harvest.

SUBMITTER: Johnson EG

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8454969 | biostudies-literature | 2021

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Total mercury concentrations in invasive lionfish (Pterois volitans/miles) from the Atlantic coast of Florida.

Johnson Eric G EG Dichiera Angelina A Goldberg Danielle D Swenarton MaryKate M Gelsleichter James J

PloS one 20210921 9

Invasive lionfish (Pterois volitans/miles) pose a serious threat to marine ecosystems throughout the western Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea. The development of a fishery for lionfish has been proposed as a strategy for controlling populations; however, there is concern about consumption of this species by humans due to its high trophic position and potential for bioaccumulation of mercury. We analyzed total mercury (THg) in tissues of lionfish from two locations on the east coast of Florida. T ...[more]

PMID: 34547024

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Project description:The invasion of the western Atlantic Ocean by the Indo-Pacific red lionfish (Pterois volitans) has had devastating consequences for marine ecosystems. Estimating the number of colonizing lionfish can be useful in identifying the introduction pathway and can inform policy decisions aimed at preventing similar invasions. It is well-established that at least ten lionfish were initially introduced. However, that estimate has not faced probabilistic scrutiny and is based solely on the number of haplotypes in the maternally-inherited mitochondrial control region. To rigorously estimate the number of lionfish that were introduced, we used a forward-time, Wright-Fisher, population genetic model in concert with a demographic, life-history model to simulate the invasion across a range of source population sizes and colonizing population fecundities. Assuming a balanced sex ratio and no Allee effects, the simulations indicate that the Atlantic population was founded by 118 (54-514, 95% HPD) lionfish from the Indo-Pacific, the Caribbean by 84 (22-328, 95% HPD) lionfish from the Atlantic, and the Gulf of Mexico by at least 114 (no upper bound on 95% HPD) lionfish from the Caribbean. Increasing the size, and therefore diversity, of the Indo-Pacific source population and fecundity of the founding population caused the number of colonists to decrease, but with rapidly diminishing returns. When the simulation was parameterized to minimize the number of colonists (high θ and relative fecundity), 96 (48-216, 95% HPD) colonists were most likely. In a more realistic scenario with Allee effects (e.g., 50% reduction in fecundity) plaguing the colonists, the most likely number of lionfish increased to 272 (106-950, 95% HPD). These results, in combination with other published data, support the hypothesis that lionfish were introduced to the Atlantic via the aquarium trade, rather than shipping. When building the model employed here, we made assumptions that minimize the number of colonists, such as the lionfish being introduced in a single event. While we conservatively modelled the introduction pathway as a single release of lionfish in one location, it is more likely that a combination of smaller and larger releases from a variety of aquarium trade stakeholders occurred near Miami, Florida, which could have led to even larger numbers of colonists than simulated here. Efforts to prevent future invasions via the aquarium trade should focus on the education of stakeholders and the prohibition of release, with adequate rewards for compliance and penalties for violations.

Project description:Indo-Pacific red lionfish (Pterois volitans) have invaded the western Atlantic, and most recently the northern Gulf of Mexico (nGOM), at a rapid pace. Given their generalist habitat affinities and diet, and strong ecological overlap with members of the commercially valuable snapper-grouper complex, increased density and abundance of lionfish could result in significant competitive interactions with nGOM commercially important species. We experimentally investigated the intensity of behavioral interactions between lionfish and indigenous, abundant and economically important juvenile nGOM red snapper (Lutjanus campechanus), and other increasingly abundant juvenile tropical snapper species (gray snapper-L. griseus and lane snapper-L. synagris) in large outdoor mesocosms to examine snapper vulnerabilities to lionfish competition. When paired with lionfish, red snapper swimming activity (i.e., time swimming and roving around experimental tank or at structure habitat during experiments) was significantly lower than in intraspecific control trials, but gray and lane snapper swimming activities in the presence of lionfish did not significantly differ from their intraspecific controls. Additionally in paired trials, red and lane snapper swimming activities were significantly lower than those of lionfish, while no significant difference in swimming activities was observed between lionfish and gray snapper. We found that red snapper prey consumption rates in the presence of lionfish were significantly lower than in their intraspecific 3-individual control trials, but when paired together no significant differences in prey consumption rates between red snapper and lionfish were observed. When paired with lane or gray snapper, lionfish were observed having comparatively higher prey consumption than snappers, or as observed in lionfish intraspecific 1-individual controls. However, lane and gray snapper consumption rates in the presence of lionfish did not significantly differ from those in intraspecific controls. These findings suggest that competition between juvenile snappers and invasive lionfish may be variable, with lionfish exhibiting differing degrees of competitive dominance and snappers exhibiting partial competitive vulnerability and resistance to lionfish. While the degree of intensity at which these interactions may occur in nGOM reefs may differ from those observed in our findings, this study enables greater understanding of the potential ecological effects of red lionfish on native reef fishes.

Dataset Information

Total mercury concentrations in invasive lionfish (Pterois volitans/miles) from the Atlantic coast of Florida.

Publications

Total mercury concentrations in invasive lionfish (Pterois volitans/miles) from the Atlantic coast of Florida.

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