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Controversy On Lionfish

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In 1985 a fearsome predator was introduced to the northwest area of the Atlantic Ocean. This predator has spread rapidly for decades, destroying the habitats in which it invades. No one has been successful in keeping this predator under control. This invasion has been like no other for a marine species. Lionfish were introduced to Florida from their native home in the Indo-Pacific in 1985. A common way for invasive species to be introduced to an area is through ballast water from ships. However, this was not the case for the lionfish. The lionfish was most likely introduced through accidental or intentional aquarium release because this fish is a popular fish to have in aquariums.
The methods that have been used to track the lionfish invasion …show more content…

These fish have several spines throughout their body (all on their many fins) that contain toxic substance. No predator wants to eat that. These fish are also unique in the way that they have behavioral defense against predators as well. Lionfish, “…do not flee but rather display their dorsal and pectoral fins equipped with venomous spines.” (Jessica L. Diller, Thomas K. Frazer, Charles A. Jacoby, 2014, p.46). Potential species that may prey on lionfish are confused and deterred by this kind of behavior from a potential prey item. There are several different factors that make the lionfish such a successful invader of the northwest Atlantic but a notable one is the fact that they are habitat generalists and can live in a large variety of oceanic conditions. Along with being habitat and ecosystem generalists they are also generalists in terms of the food that they eat. Along with being food generalists they also have a unique hunting technique where they “vacuum up” their …show more content…

Due to the fact that they are such successful invaders they have the capabilities to inflict quite a bit of damage on the oceans regions in which they invade. A shocking statistic that I read in the journal article, Working up and appetite for lionfish: A market-based approach to manage the invasion of pterios voltians in Belize” “Lionfish have almost three times the prey consumption rate of native counterparts such as the Coney grouper.”(Jenifer K. Chapman, Lucy G. Anderson, Charlotte L.A. Gough and Alasdair R. Harris, 2016, p. 258). Another journal article also stated the statistic “…a single lionfish can reduce the abundance of a small native fish by nearly 80% in just five weeks.” (Côté et al. 2013, p.

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