Letters from the November 11, 2006, issue of Science News
By Science News
The Carolinas to New Jersey
“Bad-News Beauties: Poison-spined fish from Asia have invaded U.S. waters” (SN: 9/9/06, p. 168) cites evidence of a severe genetic bottleneck, suggesting that perhaps no more than three pregnant females launched the expanding western Atlantic red lionfish population. How can there be “pregnant females” in an animal with the external fertilization described in the article? Do you mean a founder population of as few as three individuals? Please clarify.