The Feeding Ecology of Invasive Lionfish (Pterois volitans and P. miles) in Bermuda

Lionfish from the Indo-Pacific have invaded the northwest Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico. As voracious opportunistic predators, they pose a major threat to economically and ecologically important fish species and, therefore, the overall health of coral reef ecosystems. In Bermuda, continued growth of the lionfish population could have disastrous consequences for the marine environment. At this time, the invasion appears to be developing slowly, providing an opportunity to study their ecological impact at an early stage. This will be accomplished by investigating their feeding ecology through both stomach content and stable isotope analysis. To provide a more complete ecosystem-based assessment, we have included lionfish prey and competitors in the stable isotope analysis. This information will be used to track the ecological impact of lionfish over time, predict potential changes in community structure, and inform a developing control strategy. Stomach content analysis suggests a greater-than-expected impact upon small, relatively unknown crustacean species, which may be particularly vulnerable to novel predatory stress. Preliminary results from the stable isotope analysis reveal characteristics of the lionfish food web such as carbon sources, resource overlap, and overall community structure, as well as the trophic position of lionfish themselves.