Table 1. Goals of the Gittings lionfish trap with design attributes employed to achieve those goals.

Goals	Trap characteristics
Attract and capture lionfish	Plastic lattice provides vertical structure to attract lionfish from nearby habitats.
Limit bycatch	Non-containment design prevents fish mortality prior to retrieval. Lack of bait reduces recruitment of non-targeted species. Presence of lionfish may also deter native fishes.
Prevent ghost fishing	Non-containment design with downward-opening curtain minimizes the likelihood of continued mortality (“ghost fishing”) if a trap is lost.
Limit habitat damage	Collapsed trap falls quickly through the water to facilitate placement accuracy. Traps are placed on sand and low relief habitats where snagging is less likely. Low center of gravity reduces likelihood of movement.
Allow for easy transport on fishing boats	Traps are collapsible and stackable.
Allow for safe release of bycatch	Able to recompress bycatch by descending in a closed trap, releasing fish upon contact with the bottom.