Gymnothorax spp. (Muraenidae) as natural predators of the lionfish Pterois miles in its native biogeographical range

Lionfish ( Pterois miles ) were observed avoiding coral pinnacles inhabited by the moray eels Gymnothorax flavimarginatus and G. javanicus in the northern Red Sea, Egypt. Release of lionfish (Standard Length 93–104 mm) in such coral pinnacles in November 2016 resulted in almost immediate predation b...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Environmental biology of fishes 2017-06, Vol.100 (6), p.745-748
Main Authors: Bos, Arthur R., Sanad, Ashraf M., Elsayed, Khamis
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animal morphology
Animal Systematics/Taxonomy/Biogeography
Biogeography
Biomedical and Life Sciences
Biometry
Corals
Eels
Environment
Feeding
Freshwater & Marine Ecology
Interspecific relationships
Invasive fish
Length
Life Sciences
Marine conservation
Marine fishes
Nature Conservation
Peaks (landforms)
Population growth
Predation
Predators
Zoology
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Summary:Lionfish ( Pterois miles ) were observed avoiding coral pinnacles inhabited by the moray eels Gymnothorax flavimarginatus and G. javanicus in the northern Red Sea, Egypt. Release of lionfish (Standard Length 93–104 mm) in such coral pinnacles in November 2016 resulted in almost immediate predation by large moray eels (Total Length > 1 m). Predation by moray eels may be the key control mechanism of population growth in the native biogeographical range of Pterois spp. and may indirectly explain the success of the invasive populations. This is the first video-documented record of moray eels feeding on the lionfish P. miles .
ISSN:0378-1909
1573-5133
DOI:10.1007/s10641-017-0600-7