Feeding Ecology of Pterois volitans on the Coral Reefs of Northern Veracruz, Mexico

Abstract

Knowledge of the lionfish’s diet composition on a regional scale is essential to assess the impact that an increase in population density can have on native populations. This paper documents for the first time the diet of Pterois volitans in coral reefs of Veracruz (southwestern Gulf of Mexico). For this, 29 organisms from three reefs in northern Veracruz were analyzed. 95.2 % of the stomach contents of lionfish were repre sented by fish and 4.8 % by crustaceans. Among the most frequent species in the diet of P. volitans were: Malacoctenus triangulatus and Tigrigobius redimiculus . The results reveal that the increase in the population density of the lionfish in the region may represent a threat to the regional endemic species.