Invasive Species of Florida — Armored Catfish
Today we expose one of the most dastardly invasive species in the state of Florida — the Armored Catfish. Scientifically known as Hypostomus Plecostomus. Bet you’ve never heard that one before.
Found some of these sitting in a local canal while cleaning trash today, and upon posting the video I was informed that they are both invasive and dangerous. So a blog on the subject was a must. What makes these so destructive to the local environment? We’re about to find out. Literally, I’m looking it up right now.
This species is native to South America, specifically Brazil, the Guineas, and Trinidad & Tobago. They only eat algae. You might be thinking — then what makes these so destructive? The answer is simple, yet atrocious….they kill manatees by feeding on algae that grows on their backs. They will literally follow these spectacular creatures around, sucking on their backs. It’s like some kind of dread mosquito which feeds on the essence of these majestic sea cows. I’m probably exaggerating but you get the picture.
Apparently, they’ve found their way to Florida, as well as Texas, as a result of people just releasing them from their aquariums into the wild. They can definitely survive in the warm water, and with no natural predators, they reproduce in large numbers and body the local environment with their presence. When the manatees retreat to these warmer waters in the winter, they are met with this new presence, leading to the scenario described in the above paragraph.
Also, because these fish are so good at sucking on algae, they also suck away other plant life and have even been known to erode shoreline. Specifically among freshwater ponds and lakes, this can be damaging to the environment. They are like a natural vacuum cleaner with no predators. Who knew a creature could suck so much?
There’s only so much we can do to remove these from the environment, but the best course of action is probably just to go fishing. Getting a contractor out there to deal with the problem would be pricey and likely useless, given that there could be millions roaming South Florida as we speak. So the next time you see one of these swimming around, say “Damn, that’s an invasive Hypostomus Plecostomus. I need to do something about that. I should go fishing,” and then when you catch it don’t throw it back.
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