Lionfish Invasion

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Found throughout the tropical waters of the Pacific and Indian Oceans, lionfish are a rather conspicuous predatory fish. Their flashy warning coloration of red, white, or black bands and showy fins equipped with venomous fin rays have made them a popular aquarium fish.

Two of the 12 species of lionfish have established themselves in the waters off the eastern coast of the United States, throughout the Caribbean, and south to Brazil. Described as, “one of the most aggressively invasive species on the planet”, lionfish are considered to be one of the most serious recent threats to the coral reef ecosystems of the Caribbean and Florida.

Lionfish Invasion will help you understand:

 

  • the characteristics of an invasive species.
  • the ecological and economic impact posed by invasive species.
  • the life history of family Scorpaenidae.
  • how lionfish came to be invasive species.
  • the current solutions to control lionfish populations.

Explore the entire course below. When you are finished with each section, close the window to return here.