Mitochondrial cytochrome b analysis reveals two invasive lionfish species with strong founder effects in the western Atlantic
Abstract
Lionfish (Scorpaenidae, Pteroinae) are venomous predatory fish that are native to the Indo‐Pacific region and have recently become established in the western Atlantic Ocean. Since the invasion was first documented in 2000, the number of lionfish in the Atlantic has increased substantially and spurred a series of investigations regarding their biology and potential impacts on the ecosystem. The present study uses haplotypes from the mitochondria‐encoded cytochrome b (cyt b) locus to determine the number of lionfish species involved in the Atlantic invasion and the decrease in genetic diversity that accompanied the invasion. The cyt b data reveal that Pterois volitans along with a small number of Pterois miles are present in the Atlantic Ocean and that a strong founder effect has resulted in a large decrease in genetic diversity compared with native lionfish populations.
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The two species Pterois volitans and P. miles are nearly morphologically identical.
“These 2 species are nearly morphologically identical and 93% of specimens sampled from the Atlantic as well as North Carolina were P. volitans (Hamner et al. 2007), so hereafter we refer to invasive specimens collectively as lionfish or P. volitans.”
From Diet of invasive lionfish on hard bottom reefs of the Southeast USA: insights from stomach contents and stable isotopes (2011) · cites this paper as Hamner et al. 2007
93% of specimens sampled from the Atlantic as well as North Carolina were P. volitans.
“These 2 species are nearly morphologically identical and 93% of specimens sampled from the Atlantic as well as North Carolina were P. volitans (Hamner et al. 2007), so hereafter we refer to invasive specimens collectively as lionfish or P. volitans.”
From Diet of invasive lionfish on hard bottom reefs of the Southeast USA: insights from stomach contents and stable isotopes (2011) · cites this paper as Hamner et al. 2007
Cites
Whitfield, P., Gardner, T., Vives, S., Gilligan, M., Courtenay Ray, W., Ray, G., & Hare, J. (2002) · Marine Ecology Progress Series · doi:10.3354/meps235289 · Cited by 306 · see citing works
Self-citationKimball, M., Miller, J., Whitfield, P., & Hare, J. (2004) · Marine Ecology Progress Series · doi:10.3354/meps283269 · Cited by 176 · cited 2× · see citing works
“Laboratory results indicate that lionfish stop feeding when the temperature drops to 16° C (60° F) (Kimball et al., 2004).”
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Invasive Indo-Pacific lionfish Pterois volitans reduce recruitment of Atlantic coral-reef fishes
Albins, M., & Hixon, M. (2008) · Marine Ecology Progress Series · doi:10.3354/meps07620 · Cited by 544 · see citing works
Feeding ecology of invasive lionfish (Pterois volitans) in the Bahamian archipelago
Morris, J. A., & Akins, J. L. (2009) · Environmental Biology of Fishes · doi:10.1007/s10641-009-9538-8 · Cited by 368 · see citing works
Schofield, P. (2009) · Aquatic Invasions · doi:10.3391/ai.2009.4.3.5 · Cited by 271 · see citing works
Evaluating the potential efficacy of invasive lionfish (Pterois volitans) removals
Barbour, A. B., Allen, M. S., Frazer, T. K., & Sherman, K. D. (2011) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0019666 · Cited by 188 · see citing works
Muñoz, R., Currin, C., & Whitfield, P. (2011) · Marine Ecology Progress Series · doi:10.3354/meps09154 · Cited by 146 · see citing works
Self-citationInvasive lionfish reduce native fish abundance on a regional scale
Ballew, N. G., Bacheler, N. M., Kellison, G. T., & Schueller, A. M. (2016) · Scientific Reports · doi:10.1038/srep32169 · Cited by 96 · see citing works
Reproductive biology of invasive lionfish (Pterois spp.)
Gardner, P. G., Frazer, T. K., Jacoby, C. A., & Yanong, R. P. E. (2015) · Frontiers in Marine Science · doi:10.3389/fmars.2015.00007 · Cited by 87 · see citing works
Oogenesis and spawn formation in the invasive lionfish, Pterois miles and Pterois volitans
Morris, Jr., Sullivan, C. V., & Govoni, J. J. (2011) · Scientia Marina · doi:10.3989/scimar.2011.75n1147 · Cited by 62 · see citing works
“The similarity of reproductive biology between these two closely related lionfish species is not surprising given their morphologic and genetic similarities (Schultz, 1986; Kochzius et al., 2003; Hamner et al., 2007), yet it may account, in part, for the observed invasiveness of both species.”
BackgroundMethodInfluential
- Authors
- Hamner, R. M., Freshwater, D. W., & Whitfield, P. E.
- Affiliations
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (US)
- Corresponding author
- Freshwater, D. W.
- ORCID
- Freshwater, D. W.
- Venue
- Journal of Fish Biology
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2007-09-24
- Volume
- 71
- Issue
- sb
- Pages
- 214-222
- ISSN
- 0022-1112 (ISSN-L)
- 1095-8649
- OpenAlex
- W2106403979
- Cited by
- 132
- References
- 2
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 5 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 4 · 2020: 7 · 2019: 8 · 2018: 4 · 2017: 9 · 2016: 13 · 2015: 13 · 2014: 13 · 2013: 7 · 2012: 2
- FWCI
- 3.57
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Fish Biology (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Genetic diversity and population structure
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Global and Planetary Change › Marine Ecology and Invasive Species
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Nature and Landscape Conservation › Fish Ecology and Management Studies
- Keywords
- lionfish, Pterois volitans, Pterois miles, invasive species, cytochrome b, founder effect, genetic diversity, population genetics, western Atlantic, Indo-Pacific origin, species delimitation
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