Abstract

The lionfish (Pterois volitans / miles complex) is an invasive species that, since its first registration in the Caribbean, has changes the integrity and biodiversity of ecosystems. The lionfish has become a decade, in one of the most successful invasive species, affecting inconsistently and even undervalued, the coral reef ecosystems of the Mexican Caribbean. The objective of the research is to generate maps of distribution and risk on the invasion of lionfish in the study sites of the northern, central and southern sites in the Mexican Caribbean. Data generation is performed using systematic and autono-mous diving methodology, using harpoon type Hawaiian for capture. The average fish population density per hectare is heterogeneous in the region, fish abundance does not vary significantly between sites, but is significant in a vertical depth profile to the coastline. The number of organisms per hectare in the NPA of Chinchorro, a southern zone (with high conservation level), is similar to that reported in Playa del Carmen, central zone (without conservation status), presenting in both sites the largest sizes and abundances. In Isla Contoy and Punta Nizuc (average level of conservation), north zone, the abundance is smaller with respect to the center and south zone. There are no correlations between the density of the invasive species, the complexity of the background or the biodiversity between zones. The results of the analysis reflect that unimportant invasive species control efforts are applied in each zone. It is recommended to intensify the efforts of control of the species and its consumption while working towards a unique integrated management strategy with an ecosystem approach, where the conservation of local species, magnify control.

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