Question

The red lion fish (shown below) is a voracious predator of small fish , including young angelfish and parrotfish. In the caribbean , red lion fish have no natural predators.What is the most likely long-term outcome of the introduction of lion fish to a pristine reef?

Answer 1

The numbers of stoplight parrotfish and queen angelfish will decrease. The numbers of yellowtail snappers and Nassau groupers will decrease. The number of long-spined sea urchins will increase. (D) All of the above will happen or is the outcome.

Answer 2

The red lion fish is a voracious predator of small fish, including young angelfish and parrot-fish. In the Caribbean, red lion fish have no natural predators. The absence of natural predators will lead to the red lion fish thriving in huge numbers. The increased population of red lion fish will wreck havoc on the populations of angelfish and parrot-fish that inhabit the Caribbean. This will lead to reduction in the numbers of the parrot-fish and the angelfish, ultimately leading to their extinction from the Caribbean waters.