The role of sound and sociability in the success of invasive lionfish (Pterois spp.)
type: CreativeWork
description: Animals use sensory information to guide a range of behaviours such as foraging, navigating, avoiding predators, and interacting with conspecifics. When invasive species are introduced into novel environments, however, they may face “information landscapes” different to those experienced in their native ranges. In these cases, if and how invasive species use different forms of information to inform their decision-making in invaded regions is likely to influence their invasive success. For marine invaders, sound is likely to be a particularly important cue since the characteristics of ambient soundscapes can correlate with biodiversity and habitat health, potentially providing information about suitable habitats. Moreover, the tendency of animals to locate and join conspecifics in invaded regions may further affect their ability to invade. This thesis investigated the distribution, sonic anatomy, and behaviour of two species of closely related lionfishes (Pterois volitans and P. miles, hereafter referred to as “lionfish”) in relation to sound as well as sociability. These two species are widely invasive in the Western Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea, and the Mediterranean Sea, where they pose a threat to native fauna through predation. In Chapter 2, I first used a citizen science approach to map the distribution and behaviour of lionfish in their invaded range of the Western Atlantic and Caribbean Sea. While lionfish abundance was not correlated with the local pressure or frequency of human hunters, lionfish were more likely to be encountered deeper and in larger maximum group sizes in areas with more hunting pressure. This suggests that lionfish may be adapting their behaviour to reduce their mortality risk in areas with increased human hunting. In Chapter 3, I found that lionfish displayed a preference to share a shelter with a conspecific, rather occupy a shelter than alone, potentially due to the foraging or anti-predator benefits afforded by group formation. In…
abstract: Animals use sensory information to guide a range of behaviours such as foraging, navigating, avoiding predators, and interacting with conspecifics. When invasive species are introduced into novel environments, however, they may face “information landscapes” different to those experienced in their native ranges. In these cases, if and how invasive species use different forms of information to inform their decision-making in invaded regions is likely to influence their invasive success. For marine invaders, sound is likely to be a particularly important cue since the characteristics of ambient soundscapes can correlate with biodiversity and habitat health, potentially providing information about suitable habitats. Moreover, the tendency of animals to locate and join conspecifics in invaded regions may further affect their ability to invade. This thesis investigated the distribution, sonic anatomy, and behaviour of two species of closely related lionfishes (Pterois volitans and P. miles, hereafter referred to as “lionfish”) in relation to sound as well as sociability. These two species are widely invasive in the Western Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea, and the Mediterranean Sea, where they pose a threat to native fauna through predation. In Chapter 2, I first used a citizen science approach to map the distribution and behaviour of lionfish in their invaded range of the Western Atlantic and Caribbean Sea. While lionfish abundance was not correlated with the local pressure or frequency of human hunters, lionfish were more likely to be encountered deeper and in larger maximum group sizes in areas with more hunting pressure. This suggests that lionfish may be adapting their behaviour to reduce their mortality risk in areas with increased human hunting. In Chapter 3, I found that lionfish displayed a preference to share a shelter with a conspecific, rather occupy a shelter than alone, potentially due to the foraging or anti-predator benefits afforded by group formation. In…
author: Holmes, Roxanne
keywords: Behaviour, Bioacoustics, Invasion biology, Lionfish, Sensory ecology
license: https://apollo8-f-pro.lib.cam.ac.uk/bitstreams/f8869c27-4e15-4f88-9c5d-32646d7bbc3d/download
license: http://purl.org/NET/rdflicense/allrightsreserved
date published: 2025-01-03
date modified: 2026-07-22T22:24:07Z
provider: Cambridge University
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: University of Cambridge

PropertyValue
property ID: DOI
value: 10.17863/CAM.119021