Marine Officials Target Batfish Pair

June 6, 2004

Release from:
The Associated Press

KEY LARGO - Marine officials will attempt to capture a pair of exotic batfish in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary that could threaten native fish.

Sanctuary officials want to remove the two orbicular batfish so they can't breed and compete with Florida Keys species for food and shelter. The batfish pair has been spotted together and it is possible Keys waters are home to more of the animals native to the Indian and western Pacific oceans.

The attempted roundup, planned for Tuesday, follows the release of a scientific paper by researchers from the University of Washington and the Key Largo-based Reef Environmental Education Foundation identifying South Florida as a hot spot for sightings of exotic marine creatures.

The capture is being coordinated by the foundation, the sanctuary and the Florida Aquarium, a Tampa facility where the batfish will reside and serve as "poster fish" to educate the public about dangers posed by releasing exotics into the marine environment.

The fish most likely belonged to aquarium enthusiasts and were discarded when they grew too large for their tank, or their owners lost interest, said Lad Akins, the executive director of the environmental foundation.

"When these fish are juvenile, they are very ornate and pretty," Akins said. "But as they get larger, they lose their color and appeal for collectors."

Invasive and exotic species are a threat to both terrestrial and aquatic plants and animals in Florida and across the United States, Akins said.

The batfish are one of 16 nonnative species of fish in ocean waters off the southeast coast of Florida, the research report said.