Counts and sizes of fish observed during dedicated reef predator surveys at Eleuthera, Bahamas.
To rigorously test whether and how lionfish have altered prey density-dependent dynamics, a manipulation was conducted of both basslet and lionfish densities in a cross-factored design, such that differences in patterns of mortality between treatments could be attributable to lionfish predation alone. Because density-dependent basslet mortality was attributed to predators aggregating preferentially near high prey concentrations, predatory behavior of both native and invasive predators was also examined in order to determine whether differences in any aggregative response could explain different patterns of prey mortality.
Related Datasets from sub-project "Lionfish alter density dependence in fairy basslet":
fairy basslet baseline density
fairy basslet census Eleuthera