Phenotypic variation of lionfish supraocular tentacles

A previous observation suggested that a novel phenotype of lionfish supraocular tentacle is evolving rapidly in the Red Sea and Indian Ocean. We confirm the existence of this phenotype in high prevalence in invasive populations of lionfish in the Western North Atlantic. Observations of individual li...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Environmental biology of fishes 2008-10, Vol.83 (2), p.237-241
Main Authors: Morris, James A. Jr, Freshwater, D. Wilson
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Agnatha. Pisces
Animal and plant ecology
Animal Systematics/Taxonomy/Biogeography
Animal, plant and microbial ecology
Animals
Autoecology
Biological and medical sciences
Biomedical and Life Sciences
Environment
Fish
Freshwater & Marine Ecology
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Genotype & phenotype
Invasive fish
Life Sciences
Lionfish
Marine
Marine biology
Nature Conservation
Nonnative species
Peacock-feather tentacles
Phenotypic variations
Pterois
Pterois miles
Pterois volitans
Signal
Studies
Vertebrata
Vertebrates: general zoology, morphology, phylogeny, systematics, cytogenetics, geographical distribution
Zoology
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Summary:A previous observation suggested that a novel phenotype of lionfish supraocular tentacle is evolving rapidly in the Red Sea and Indian Ocean. We confirm the existence of this phenotype in high prevalence in invasive populations of lionfish in the Western North Atlantic. Observations of individual lionfish from the Atlantic populations indicate that supraocular tentacles are more prevalent on juvenile and young adult lionfish suggesting this characteristic is size specific and is not associated with a genetic lineage. The high prevalence of this novel phenotype in the Atlantic may be a founder effect rather than continued selection. Genetic analysis further supports this conclusion as this phenotype is present in two Pterois species found in the Atlantic.
ISSN:0378-1909
1573-5133
DOI:10.1007/s10641-007-9326-2