Here are a few actual studies:
That one looked at growth rates.Environmental Biology of Fishes
July 2016, Volume 99, Issue 6–7, pp 571–579| Cite as
Invasive Red Lionfish (Pterois volitans) grow faster in the Atlantic Ocean than in their native Pacific range
Abstract
- Timothy J. PusackEmail author
- Cassandra E. Benkwitt
- Katherine Cure
- Tye L. Kindinger
Invasive Red Lionfish (Pterois volitans) continue to spread along tropical and subtropical coasts of the Western Atlantic, Caribbean, and Gulf of Mexico. They may have escaped natural controls present in their native Pacific, thus facilitating their immense success as predators in the Atlantic. We hypothesized that such ecological release would translate into faster individual growth and larger average body lengths in the invaded range relative to the native range. We used mark-release-recapture methods to monitor lionfish growth in two island systems in both the Pacific and the Atlantic. We compared the average individual lionfish growth rates among all four islands and between the two oceans, and compared population-level von Bertalanffy growth functions between oceans. While our study was limited to two sites in each ocean basin, we found consistent growth patterns within oceans and a significant difference between oceans, with lionfish in the Atlantic growing 1.25 to 2.25 times faster than lionfish in the Pacific. The von Bertalanffy model predicted larger average asymptotic lengths for the Atlantic population (322 vs. 225 mm). Given that lionfish consume prey up to half their body length, and that larger lionfish may be less vulnerable to predation, these findings, if broadly representative, suggest that invasive lionfish may consume larger native fish and may have higher survival than lionfish in their native range.
Invasive Red Lionfish ( Pterois volitans) grow faster in the Atlantic Ocean than in their native Pacific range
Invasive Lionfish Drive Atlantic Coral Reef Fish Declines
- https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0032596
Abstract
Indo-Pacific lionfish (Pterois volitans and P. miles) have spread swiftly across the Western Atlantic, producing a marine predator invasion of unparalleled speed and magnitude. There is growing concern that lionfish will affect the structure and function of invaded marine ecosystems, however detrimental impacts on natural communities have yet to be measured. Here we document the response of native fish communities to predation by lionfish populations on nine coral reefs off New Providence Island, Bahamas. We assessed lionfish diet through stomach contents analysis, and quantified changes in fish biomass through visual surveys of lionfish and native fishes at the sites over time. Lionfish abundance increased rapidly between 2004 and 2010, by which time lionfish comprised nearly 40% of the total predator biomass in the system. The increase in lionfish abundance coincided with a 65% decline in the biomass of the lionfish's 42 Atlantic prey fishes in just two years. Without prompt action to control increasing lionfish populations, similar effects across the region may have long-term negative implications for the structure of Atlantic marine communities, as well as the societies and economies that depend on them.
Invasive Lionfish Drive Atlantic Coral Reef Fish Declines
This last article is printed in full at the above link. If you go to Google Scholar, and search for "lionfish in the Atlantic" you will see a number of studies.
SeaRat