Abstract

Following the introduction of the Indo-Pacific lionfish (Pterois volitans and P. miles) to the western Atlantic, Caribbe-an, and Gulf of Mexico, there has been extensive investigation into the life history traits and ecological impacts of this invasive species. Declines in the abundance and biomass of small demersal coral reef fishes have been well documented and attributed to the presence of lionfish on reefs. However, the competitive and behavioral interactions that may occur between native predators and invasive lionfish are less well understood. During the summer of 2013 we experimentally altered the presence of lionfish and Red Grouper (Epinephelus morio) in solution-hole hardbottom features in Florida Bay. For six weeks we tracked subsequent changes in juvenile reef fish and motile macroinvertebrate communities to determine how the presence of the native grouper may inhibit or modify the effects of the invasive lionfish.

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