Abstract

As a generalist and opportunistic predator, lionfish have a voracious appetite for anything and everything, consuming large quantities of juvenile reef fish and invertebrates, as well as the adults of small-bodied species. There is great concern that invasive lionfish could cause significant ecological disruption if their populations are not controlled. To better under-stand the impacts of this species upon invaded ecosystems, we need to understand their feeding habits, diet variation between regions, patterns of prey selection, and how environmental factors may affect diet choice. In this study, we describe the diet of Bermuda’s invasive lionfish population based on stomach contents analysis, using indices of prey selection, and by canonical correspondence analysis.

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