Grouper as a Natural Biocontrol of Invasive Lionfish

摘要: Lionfish (Pterois volitans/miles) have invaded the majority of Caribbean region within five years. As voracious predators native fishes with a broad habitat distribution, lionfish are poised to cause an unprecedented disruption coral reef diversity and function. Controls densities its range poorly understood, but they been recorded in stomachs large-bodied groupers. Whether grouper predation is sufficient act as biocontrol invasive species unknown, pest by predatory has reported other ecosystems. Groupers were surveyed along chain Bahamian reefs, including one region's most successful marine reserves which supports top percentile biomass. biomass exhibited 7-fold non-linear reduction relation grouper. While appear be lionfish, overexploitation their populations fishers, means that median on reefs order magnitude less than our study. Thus, chronic overfishing will probably prevent natural lionfishes Caribbean.