First genetically confirmed record of the invasive devil firefish Pterois miles (Bennett, 1828) in the Mexican Caribbean

Devil firefish Pterois miles (Bennett, 1828) is a species native to the Indo-Pacific that along with Pterois volitans (Linneaus, 1758) has been invading the western Atlantic since the 1980's. Morphological characters, life cycle, habits, and dispersal potential of this species are very similar to those of Pterois volitans, to such extent that its taxonomic classification remains controversial. For example, the USGS database lists two species (Pterois volitans/miles) as a single one. Therefore, the probability of both species having been captured and confused is high because their identification by meristics and morphometrics is problematic. As a part of our investigation in genetic connectivity of invasive lionfish, we collected 77 specimens from Chinchorro Bank, Mexico. Identifying the samples by analysis of partial mtDNA cyt b sequences, we found that one sample corresponded to Pterois miles. The sequence of this specimen had 100% similarity to the sequence of Pterois miles specimens collected off the coast of North Carolina in 2004. This indicates that the species has extended its distribution into the Caribbean basin, but its current geographical distribution is unknown. Our results show that the presence of Pterois miles in the Caribbean appears low, approximately 1.3% of that of Pterois volitans. This study reveals the progress of the invasion of Pterois miles in the Caribbean and advocates for genetically confirmed identification and management of Pterois species.