Dietary Analysis of Lionfish Pterois volitans from Discovery Bay, Jamaica
Presentation Type
Event
Full Name of Faculty Mentor
Erin Burge
Major
Marine Science
Second Major
Biology
Presentation Abstract
Pterois volitans red lionfish are an invasive species in the Caribbean that originated from the Indo-Pacific region. Lionfish have a broad range of prey items they can consume, including small fishes and crustaceans. The objective of this study was to determine the dietary habits of lionfish in Discovery Bay, Jamaica, to examine correlations between the size of the prey and predator, and document feeding patterns of lionfish in Discovery Bay, Jamaica. It was found that common prey types in the stomachs of lionfish were unidentified teleosts and Cinertorhynchus manningi. There was a slightly positive correlation between the weight of prey found in lionfish and the actual length of the lionfish. This project provides a summary of the dietary habits of the lionfish present in Discovery Bay, Jamaica, while showing the relationship between prey size, and the size of the lionfish.
Course
MSCI 499
Location
Lib Jackson Student Union, Atrium
Start Date
17-4-2019 4:30 PM
End Date
17-4-2019 6:30 PM
Disciplines
Marine Biology
Recommended Citation
Hartenstein, Peyton, "Dietary Analysis of Lionfish Pterois volitans from Discovery Bay, Jamaica" (2019). Undergraduate Research Competition. 20.
https://digitalcommons.coastal.edu/ugrc/2019/poster/20
Dietary Analysis of Lionfish Pterois volitans from Discovery Bay, Jamaica
Lib Jackson Student Union, Atrium
Pterois volitans red lionfish are an invasive species in the Caribbean that originated from the Indo-Pacific region. Lionfish have a broad range of prey items they can consume, including small fishes and crustaceans. The objective of this study was to determine the dietary habits of lionfish in Discovery Bay, Jamaica, to examine correlations between the size of the prey and predator, and document feeding patterns of lionfish in Discovery Bay, Jamaica. It was found that common prey types in the stomachs of lionfish were unidentified teleosts and Cinertorhynchus manningi. There was a slightly positive correlation between the weight of prey found in lionfish and the actual length of the lionfish. This project provides a summary of the dietary habits of the lionfish present in Discovery Bay, Jamaica, while showing the relationship between prey size, and the size of the lionfish.