Abstract

The invasive Indo Pacific lionfish (Pterois sp.) was first documented in the western Atlantic approximately 20 years ago and has since rapidly spread into Caribbean and eastern U.S. coastal waters. The first confirmed sightings of lionfish in the northern Gulf of Mexico (GOM) occurred as recently as 2010. To date there have been over 600 reported lionfish sightings in the GOM, although little biological data exist. During a Southeast Area Monitoring and Assessment Program (SEAMAP) groundfish survey in May 2012, a total of four lionfish were collected with a 13-m otter trawl at two sample sites in nearshore GOM waters off Alabama. Two lionfish were collected at each of the two sites, which had water depths of 35 meters and bottom salinities of 35.7‰. Bottom water temperatures and dissolved oxygen at the two sites were 21.8oC and 5.9 mg/L and 22.9oC and 7.2 mg/L, respectively. The four specimens ranged in size from 102 to 161 mm SL. Histologi-cal examination of gonadal tissue confirmed the largest fish was a female in the spawning capable reproductive phase, while a 137 mm SL female was in the developing phase. The smallest fish was an immature female; sex was indeterminable on a 118 mm SL sample. These results suggest lionfish are reproductively active in the GOM at relatively small sizes, which has strong consequences for successful invasion and establishment. Research should be directed to assess population dynamics of the species and potential ecosystem-level consequences of the range extension.

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