Species that are considered high risk have a well-documented history of invasiveness in at least one location globally, and a high or medium climate match to the contiguous United States.
Pterois miles is a marine species native to the Indian Ocean. It is found from the Red Sea south to Port Alfred, South Africa and east to Sumatra, Indonesia. Pterois miles lives in coastal waters in muddy habitats. It feeds on fish. Pterois miles has fin spines which are venomous and may cause human death. This species has spread to the Atlantic Ocean and the eastern Mediterranean. Introductions for the species have also been reported in the United States, and have resulted in established populations. Those introductions have also facilitated the spread of the species to Bermuda, Jamaica and Puerto Rico. Impacts from those introductions include reduced populations of prey fish, reduction in recruitment of endemic species, exponential population growth of Pterois miles and deleterious changes in coral-reef communities. Climate match with the United States is high, with the entire Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico Coasts likely habitat. No further research is needed to understand the negative impacts from introductions of this species. Certainty of this assessment is high. Overall risk posed by this species is high.
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High Risk
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