Massive Concentration of Invasive Catfish in Swamp Prompts Feeding Frenzy in Naples, Florida

A rare concentration of invasive walking catfish formed in the Audubon Society’s Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, providing a feast for alligators, turtles, and vultures in Naples, Florida. Footage shows the catfish floundering in a dried-up alligator hole, with the gators slithering through the large fish buffet. The sanctuary wrote on its website that although the annual dry-down of freshwater wetlands typically strands small fish, this was a particularly large amount, providing a bounty for alligators instead of the usual wading birds. Shawn Clem, director of research for the sanctuary, said in a press release: “I’ve certainly never seen that number of Walking Catfish in one spot. We currently have no control methods for non-native fish, and seeing a sight like this, where they appear to be the only fish surviving in this dry season depression really demonstrates the challenge of managing these highly adapted invaders in our ecosystem.” Credit: Audubon’s Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary via Storyful

from National | Daily Telegraph https://ift.tt/2TriiNl