HABITAT PREFERENCE
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HABITAT
Lionfish tolerate a wide range locations, temperature, depth and salinity and are found throughout tropical and subtropical areas including:
Lionfish exhibit high site fidelity and studies have shown 74% do not venture further than 10 meters/ 33 ft from capture location (Jud & Layman 2012). |
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TEMPERATURE
Temperature appears to be a limiting factor on lionfish distribution. Lionfish have been observed in water as cold as 13°C/56°F and as warm as 30°C/86°F. Based on the tolerance of lionfish to cooler temperature scientists have estimated the potential future range based on the lethal thermal minimum of 10°C / 50°F. This predicted range is indicated in the red hatched shaded area in the map below. However, studies have shown that lionfish stop feeding at temperatures of 16°C/61°F and cooler, so in order to survive in the cooler temperatures they would need to adapt. DEPTH In their native range lionfish have been found in water depths to 175 meters/ 575 feet. In Belize lionfish have been caught by fishermen bottom fishing off the drop off in water depth greater than 152 meters/500. SALINITY Studies have shown them to tolerate low salinity waters of 10 ppt, normal sea water is about 35 ppt. |
Thermoclines of oceans indicates a sharp decrease in temperature between 300-600 ft. Given temperature limits distribution they would not survive much deeper than 500 ft.
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USGS World Range Map
