Oogenesis and spawn formation in the invasive lionfish, Pterois miles and Pterois volitans

“Oogenesis was compared between species by assessing general ovarian and oocyte morphology based on the conventional understanding of oocyte growth in teleosts (Le Menn et al., 2007; Selman et al., 1989; 1993).”

“ture females, indicating that non-native lionfish in the Atlantic are asynchronous spawners (Murua and Saborido-Rey, 2003).”

“SUMMARY: The Indo-Pacific lionfish, Pterois miles and P. volitans, have recently invaded the U.S. east coast and the Caribbean and pose a significant threat to native reef fish communities.”

“…and Morris, 2010) and densities are capable of reaching well over 400 lionfish per hectare in the offshore waters of North Carolina, U.S.A. (Whitfield et al., 2002; 2007; Morris and Whitfield, 2009) and in the Bahamas (Green and Côté, 2008), with higher densities observed in the Atlantic…”

“In the United States, lionfish are imported as an ornamental reef fish (Semmens et al., 2004; Ruiz-Carus et al., 2006) and they were most likely introduced into Atlantic waters from the Indo-Pacific by recreational or commercial aquarists (Hare and Whitfield, 2003; Ruiz-Carus et al., 2006; Morris…”

“SUMMARY: The Indo-Pacific lionfish, Pterois miles and P. volitans, have recently invaded the U.S. east coast and the Caribbean and pose a significant threat to native reef fish communities.”

“Female lionfish (n=718) were collected by spearfishing or hand nets from the northwestern Atlantic (North Carolina and the Bahamas) throughout the calendar year and euthanized by excess anesthesia in a bath of tricaine methane sulfonate or by cervical transection.”

“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.”

“…and Morris, 2010) and densities are capable of reaching well over 400 lionfish per hectare in the offshore waters of North Carolina, U.S.A. (Whitfield et al., 2002; 2007; Morris and Whitfield, 2009) and in the Bahamas (Green and Côté, 2008), with higher densities observed in the Atlantic…”

“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.”

“Oogenesis was compared between species by assessing general ovarian and oocyte morphology based on the conventional understanding of oocyte growth in teleosts (Le Menn et al., 2007; Selman et al., 1989; 1993).”

“miles in the Mediterranean Sea via the Suez Canal in 1991 (Golani and Sonin, 1992).”

“Lionfish are dispersed as planktonic larvae by oceanographic currents (Ahrenholz and Morris, 2010) and densities are capable of reaching well over 400 lionfish per hectare in the offshore waters of North Carolina, U.S.A. (Whitfield et al., 2002; 2007; Morris and Whitfield, 2009) and in the Bahamas…”

“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.”

“In the United States, lionfish are imported as an ornamental reef fish (Semmens et al., 2004; Ruiz-Carus et al., 2006) and they were most likely introduced into Atlantic waters from the Indo-Pacific by recreational or commercial aquarists (Hare and Whitfield, 2003; Ruiz-Carus et al., 2006; Morris…”

“In general, the morphological and histological structure of the scorpaeniform ovary is poorly understood, and this has led to a lack of understanding of their reproductive evolution (Wourms, 1991).”

“(Fishelson, 1975; Moyer and Zaiser, 1981), and Helicolenus dactylopterus (Krefft, 1961; Sanchez and Acha, 1988).”

“Descriptions of ovarian structure have only been reported for Dendrochirus brachypterus (Fishelson, 1975; 1977; 1978), H. dactylopterus (White et al., 1998; Muñoz et al., 2002), and S. alascanus (Erickson and Pikitch, 1993).”

“Ovarian peduncles are seen in both viviparous (Hoar, 1969) and oviparous (Brummett et al., 1982) fish, as well as some other vertebrates, including birds and reptiles (Franchi, 1962).”

“Lionfish ovaries are the most advanced of the cystovarian morphotypes (type II-3) described by Koya and Muñoz (2007).”

“Descriptions of ovarian structure have only been reported for Dendrochirus brachypterus (Fishelson, 1975; 1977; 1978), H. dactylopterus (White et al., 1998; Muñoz et al., 2002), and S. alascanus (Erickson and Pikitch, 1993).”

“Towards the end of the cortical alveoli stage, single oocytes become suspended on individual peduncles, also termed pedicles, stems, branches, delle, or stalks (Erickson and Pikitch, 1993), that originate from the central ovarian stroma and extend towards the ovarian lumen (Fig.”

“All stages of oocyte growth and maturation were simultaneously observed in mature females, indicating that non-native lionfish in the Atlantic are asynchronous spawners (Murua and Saborido-Rey, 2003).”

“, 1984), Scorpaena guttata (Orton, 1955), Dendrochirus spp.”

“Descriptions of ovarian structure have only been reported for Dendrochirus brachypterus (Fishelson, 1975; 1977; 1978), H. dactylopterus (White et al., 1998; Muñoz et al., 2002), and S. alascanus (Erickson and Pikitch, 1993).”

“…lionfish distribution and abundance (Whitfield et al. 2002, 2007, Schofield 2009, 2010, Darling et al. 2011), reproduction (Ruiz-Carus et al. 2006, Morris et al. 2011), larval duration (Ahrenholz & Morris 2010), population genetics (Hamner et al. 2007, Freshwater et al. 2009), food habits (Albins…”

“Lionfish can reach sexual maturity within one year [25] and have a high reproductive output [28], [29].”

“Several parameters associated with lionfish dispersal during early life history have been documented, including spawning frequency, gamete production, and pelagic larval duration (Ahrenholz and Morris, 2010; Morris et al., 2011).”

“…data). high spawning frequency, as well as the unusual buoyant egg masses that lionfish produce, may facilitate synchronous recruitment in an area (morris et al. 2011), particularly in the florida Keys, where florida current eddy formation can influence recruitment patterns (e.g., d’alessandro…”

“2007; Morris and Akins 2009), with the earliest reported sighting in 1985 (Morris and Akins 2009; Morris et al. 2011b).”

“…impacts of lionfish in the GOM, it will be necessary to gain a basic understanding of their biology and trends in population abundance similar to what has been done in other regions of the western North Atlantic Ocean (Whitfield et al. 2006, Morris 2009, Morris and Akin 2009, Morris et al. 2011).”

“…of the red lionfish in the Atlantic has been examined (Morris 2009; Morris and Akins 2009; Morris and Whitfield 2009; Ahrenholz and Morris 2010; Morris et al. 2011), little information is known regarding the early life history stages of this invasive species which is crucial for developing…”

“Similar oocyte diameter frequency distributions are reported for P. miles and P. volitans; the species recently invaded from the Indian and Pacific oceans into the southeast coast of the United States and parts of the Caribbean (Morris et al., 2011).”

“However, it is possible that the long-distance movements we observed are linked to individuals engaging in reproductive behavior, which can be sustained throughout the year in regions (such as St. Croix) when environmental conditions are favorable (Morris & Whitfield 2009, Morris et al. 2011).”

“It is not known if hybridization occurs, but no differences in their reproductive biology have been found [23] and where their ranges overlap, their distinguishing meristics may be shared and differentiation requires DNA analysis [13].”

“…(2016) P. volitans Pasifik 0-8 22,50 1,62 -0,07 Pusack et al., (2016) P. volitans Atlantik 0-8 32,2 1,48 -0,07 The lion fish floating egg masses can be transported by currents to long distances (Hare and Whitfield, 2003; Morris and Whitfield, 2009; Ahrenholz and Morris, 2010; Morris et al., 2011).”

“Morris et al. (2011) observed that both species have similar morphological characteristics, life cycles, habits, and dispersal potential.”

“These species are characterized by high reproductive and dispersal capacities (Moyer and Zaiser 1981; Freshwater et al. 2009; Morris 2009; Morris et al. 2011; Betancur-R et al. 2011) with in particular massive production of well-protected eggs (Morris et al.”

“…are available in the literature on the mode of oocyte development of many fish species (Murua and Saborido-Rey 2003; Abascal and Medina 2005; Azero et al. 2007; Koc et al. 2008; Rogers et al. 2009; Adebiyi et al. 2011; Morris et al. 2011), similar information is lacking for the Clarias gariepinus.”

“The introduction of lionfishes, collectively Red Lionfish Pterois volitans and Devil Firefish P. miles, represents the first large-scale, problematic fish invasion in the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic regions of the United States.”

“Lionfish are capable of reproducing throughout the year, with the largest individuals producing up to 42,000 eggs as frequently as once every 3 days [20, 21].”

“Several parameters associated with lionfish dispersal during early life history have been documented, including spawning frequency, gamete production, and pelagic larval duration (Ahrenholz and Morris 2010; Morris et al. 2011).”

“Similar features have been registered in the oocytes of other species of the genera Scorpaena (not investigated in this paper) [55,56], and of the genera Scorpaenopsis and Sebastapistes [57,58], while in the ovuliparous species belonging to Pterois genus, a proliferation of cortical alveoli was displaced, together wit…”

“2008), blue fin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) (Abascal and Medina 2005), lion fish (Pterois miles) (Morris et al. 2011), and African sharp-toothed catfish (Clarias gariepinus) (Okoye et al.”

“Analysis of ovarian tissue suggests lionfish reproduction in the GOM is similar to that seen in North Carolina and the Bahamas (Morris 2009; Morris et al. 2011), with asynchronous oocyte development and the probability of continuous egg production when environmental conditions are favorable.”

“The reproductive cycle of lionfish has been broadly studied in invaded regions, and it was found that its characteristics greatly contributed to its establishment in invaded habitats (Morris 2009; Morris et al. 2011; Côté et al. 2013; Fogg et al. 2015; Eddy et al. 2019).”