Lionfish (Pterois volitans [Linnaeus, 1758] and P. miles [Bennett, 1828]) records within mesophotic depth ranges on natural banks in the Northwestern Gulf of Mexico

The Indo-Pacific red lionfish Pterois volitans (Linnaeus, 1758) and devil firefish Pterois miles (Bennett, 1828) invasions through the western Atlantic, Caribbean, and Gulf of Mexico are reasonably well documented. While lionfish have been reported on multiple natural and artificial reefs in the Gulf of Mexico, this study notes their presence at previously undocumented mesophotic habitats and depths surrounding natural banks in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico.