Dozens—Perhaps Even Hundreds—of Lionfish Likely Launched the Atlantic Invasion

The first wave of invaders likely numbered 48 or more, according to new research. (Credit: kzww/Shutterstock) In 1992, Hurricane Andrew ripped it's way across the southern US. Southern Florida, where Andrew made landfall, was one of the hardest hit areas. It's estimated that over 100,000 homes were damaged, and 63,000 were destroyed—among them an expensive beachfront house with a very large and memorable aquarium. That aquarium contained six lionfish, and when it broke, they were swept into Biscayne Bay. And so began the lionfish invasion into the Atlantic. ... at least, that's what many people believe, because the story has been told over and over again. Nevermind that there are obvious flaws—the first lionfish off the coast of Florida was actually spotted 7 years earlier, for example. Also, genetic studies have found more than six unique maternal signatures. But a new study in PeerJ puts this legend to rest once ...