Caribe - Caribe - Maestría en Ciencias - Biología · 2026

Rasgos ecológicos y comportamentales del invasor Pterois volitans en los ambientes arrecifales de la isla de Providencia

Resumen

The lionfish (Pterois volitans) is an invasive species that poses a significant threat to Caribbean reef ecosystems. This study characterized its ecological and behavioral traits on Providencia Island throughout 2024, integrating four components: behavior, larval recruitment, sexual dimorphism, and methylmercury bioaccumulation. Analysis of 22 videos recorded under natural conditions revealed predominantly stationary behaviors, interspersed with brief episodes of predation and courtship occurring exclusively at night. The most frequent categories were stationary swimming with fish presence (81 %) and stationary swimming (68 %), consistent with an ambush predation strategy. Larval recruitment was assessed using GuSi-type floating collectors deployed at 6 and 26 m depth at Felipe's Place —outside the Protected Area— and at 6 m within the Old Providence McBean Lagoon National Natural Park. Across twelve sampling events, 1,019 organisms were recorded, dominated by molluscs (802), crustaceans (136), annelids (63), fish (15), and echinoderms (3). The highest diversity indices were found at 26 m depth (H' = 1.25; J = 0.70). Although no lionfish recruits were detected in the collectors, a 3.2 cm juvenile was captured near the collector inside the protected area, indicating a strong affinity for structurally complex habitats. In 60 captured individuals (39 females and 21 males), Fisher's exact test revealed a significant association between sex and the presence of an external mark (p = 0.0017), observed in 51.3 % of females and only 9.5 % of males. In 30 individuals, methylmercury concentrations showed moderate but non-significant correlations with morphometric variables (ρ_LT = 0.36; p = 0.053), suggesting that bioaccumulation may be driven by individual diet and local conditions. These findings provide a scientific foundation for lionfish management in the Seaflower Biosphere Reserve.