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The red lionfish, Pterois volitans, has beautiful red stripes, streaming fins, and a fearless disposition, and it is deadly. Native to the Pacific Ocean, the red lionfish was first discovered on coral reefs in the Bahamas in 1985. The species has spread to over 3 million square kilometers of the western Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico. Lionfish have a voracious appetite for native fish, are armed with venomous spines, and have no natural predators in their new range.
Lionfish are usually found in full-salinity seawater (35 parts per thousand). However, lab studies show that lionfish can tolerate salinities as low as 4 parts per thousand for several days, suggesting that the low-salinity water of estuaries (such as at the mouth of the Amazon River) may not be a barrier to lionfish dispersal along the coasts. Sketch a niche model predicting lionfish abundance as a function of salinity.

Scientists predict that global climate change will cause a greater increase in average temperature at higher latitudes than in the tropics. This seems like good news since most of the world's biodiversity occurs in the tropics. However, recent data suggest that a smaller temperature change in the tropics will cause a larger physiological response in organisms there than the larger temperature change will in organisms in temperate areas. Based on what you have learned about thermal niches in this chapter, propose a hypothesis to explain this result.

Which of the following sea creatures might be described as a pelagic animal of the aphotic zone?

a. A coral reef fish

b. An intertidal snail

c. A deep-sea squid

d. A harbor seal

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The red lionfish, Pterois volitans, has beautiful red stripes, streaming fins, and a fearless disposition, and it is deadly. Native to the Pacific Ocean, the red lionfish was first discovered on coral reefs in the Bahamas in 1985. The species has spread to over 3 million square kilometers of the western Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico. Lionfish have a voracious appetite for native fish, are armed with venomous spines, and have no natural predators in their new range.

Why are species like the lionfish considered 'invasive'?

a. They are found in areas where they are not native.

b. They were accidentally introduced by humans.

c. They spread aggressively and displace native species.

d. They are predators of other fish.

Why do the tropics and the windward side of mountains receive more rainfall than areas around latitudes 30° north and south and the leeward side of mountains?

a. Rising warm, moist air cools and drops its moisture as rain.

b. Descending air condenses, creating clouds and rain.

c. There is more solar radiation in the tropics and on the windward side of mountains.

d. Earth's rotation creates seasonal differences in rainfall.

Phytoplankton are the major photosynthesizers in

a. The benthic realm of the ocean

b. The ocean photic zone

c. The intertidal zone

d. The aphotic zone of a lake

The red lionfish, Pterois volitans, has beautiful red stripes, streaming fins, and a fearless disposition, and it is deadly. Native to the Pacific Ocean, the red lionfish was first discovered on coral reefs in the Bahamas in 1985. The species has spread to over 3 million square kilometers of the western Atlantic and Gulf of America (Gulf of Mexico). Lionfish have a voracious appetite for native fish, are armed with venomous spines, and have no natural predators in their new range.

DNA studies suggest that the lionfish invasion began with just a few females released off the coast of Florida, probably from a fish tank. Based on your knowledge of ocean currents, predict the direction in which the lionfish dispersed most quickly.

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The red lionfish, Pterois volitans, has beautiful red stripes, streaming fins, and a fearless disposition, and it is deadly. Native to the Pacific Ocean, the red lionfish was first discovered on coral reefs in the Bahamas in 1985. The species has spread to over 3 million square kilometers of the western Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico. Lionfish have a voracious appetite for native fish, are armed with venomous spines, and have no natural predators in their new range.

List the five main levels of ecological study, and write a question about the ecology of lionfish that you could research at each level.