Invasive lionfish are considered to be one of the worst marine invaders primarily due to their threat as predators to native species. The distribution of lionfish across their invasive range has been fairly well characterized, but their presence within estuaries is largely unknown. While removal of invasive lionfish is the primary mode of managing the invasion, early detection in new locations could be valuable for documenting range expansion. Environmental DNA (eDNA) has become a useful tool to identify the presence of invasive species prior to establishment and may be especially valuable for systems that are challenging to survey. In this study, an environmental DNA assay was developed and successfully identified the presence of lionfish DNA in four riverine estuaries in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Detections were significantly higher in July but did not vary by location. Occupancy modeling shows that the assay is not exceptionally sensitive and may be underreporting the presence of lionfish, possibly due to the effect of salinity. The presence of invasive lionfish within estuaries could put native fish and invertebrates at risk, especially species that use these systems as nurseries. Ongoing monitoring using molecular methods may be useful in the management of invasive lionfish by providing early detection of fish moving into systems that neighbor known invaded regions.

入侵的狮子鱼被认为是最严重的海洋入侵者之一，主要是因为它们作为捕食者对本地物种的威胁。狮子鱼在其入侵范围内的分布已经得到了很好的描述，但它们在河口的存在在很大程度上是未知的。虽然清除入侵狮子鱼是管理入侵的主要模式，但在新地点的早期检测对于记录范围扩大可能很有价值。环境 DNA (eDNA) 已成为在建立之前识别入侵物种存在的有用工具，对于难以调查的系统可能特别有价值。在这项研究中，开发了一种环境 DNA 检测方法，并成功地确定了墨西哥湾北部四个河流河口中狮子鱼 DNA 的存在。7 月份的检测量显着增加，但没有因地点而异。占用模型表明，该测定并不是特别敏感，可能由于盐度的影响而低估了狮子鱼的存在。河口内入侵狮子鱼的存在可能会使本地鱼类和无脊椎动物面临风险，尤其是将这些系统用作育苗场的物种。使用分子方法进行的持续监测可能有助于管理入侵的狮子鱼，因为它提供了鱼类进入已知入侵区域附近系统的早期检测。河口内入侵狮子鱼的存在可能会使本地鱼类和无脊椎动物面临风险，尤其是将这些系统用作育苗场的物种。使用分子方法进行的持续监测可能有助于管理入侵的狮子鱼，因为它提供了鱼类进入已知入侵区域附近系统的早期检测。河口内入侵狮子鱼的存在可能会使本地鱼类和无脊椎动物面临风险，尤其是将这些系统用作育苗场的物种。使用分子方法进行的持续监测可能有助于管理入侵的狮子鱼，因为它提供了鱼类进入已知入侵区域附近系统的早期检测。