Lionfish are a predatory fish that are commonly kept in home aquaria. However, when people are no longer able to care for these fish, they often release them into the ocean. This introduces a non-native species into an area where it should not be. Explain how a lionfish population could become quickly established in a new habitat, and how additional predation and competition from lionfish may negatively affect the biodiversity of that habitat.

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Biology

Faith Foley

1 December, 19:42

Lionfish are a predatory fish that are commonly kept in home aquaria. However, when people are no longer able to care for these fish, they often release them into the ocean. This introduces a non-native species into an area where it should not be. Explain how a lionfish population could become quickly established in a new habitat, and how additional predation and competition from lionfish may negatively affect the biodiversity of that habitat.

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Sylvia Oliver · Answer 1

If multiple Lionfish are introduced into a habitat that would not usually have the Lionfish in the food chain, then everything could be through off. The lion fish are more predatorily inclined than most other fish, so the lionfish may eat the (presumably) fish that were previously at the top of the food chain. If that were to happen then the organisms lower on the food chain would likely repopulate to quickly and the Lion fish would not be able to eat them quick enough. That would lead to an imbalanced ecosystem.