Date of Award

2017

Document Type

Dissertation/Thesis

Submission Date

October 2026

Thesis/Dissertation Advisor [Chair]

Moore, Jon

Abstract

Lionfish were first observed in West Atlantic waters in 1985. They are now established throughout the subtropical and tropical Atlantic, including the Caribbean. There are two species of invasive lionfish: Pterois volitans and Pterois miles. Both are native to the Indo-Pacific. In order to develop an effective strategy to manage the spread of lionfish, it is important to understand their reproductive capabilities. The goal of this project is to conduct an appraisal of lionfish fecundity. All specimens were caught at the REEF winter lionfish derby on February 11, 2017 in Key Largo, Florida. I measured their standard length and collected the gonads of 21 fish. Two fish out of 21 were spawning capable, and only one was immature. I weighed the gonads and counted the number of eggs per gram from the mature specimens and two developing specimens in order to extrapolate fecundity. The average fecundity was 103,569 oocytes.

Comments

Includes bibliography.

Extent

22 p.

Identifier

FA00012650

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