Walking Catfish (Clarias Batrachus)

     An invasive animal is an animal that is introduced to a new ecosystem. In other words, they are animals that are not native to the ecosystem they are currently living in. The main problem of invasive species is that they have no natural predator to keep the ecosystem balanced and thriving. Because of this, they keep on multiplying and their prey could become endangered. One invasive species is a Walking Catfish.
     Walking Catfish are originally from Southeast Asia and the Democratic Republic of Congo. These fish are now being found in Florida, California, Connecticut, Nevada, Georgia, and Massachusetts. These catfish were first introduced to the US when US fish dealers imported these fish to be sold as pets. In the mid 1960's an adult Walking Catfish escaped from the Penagra Aquarium. The population of Walking Catfish is growing rapidly. In fact, today in Florida, there are about 3,000 pounds of Walking Catfish per acre. However, these species aren't migrating north because they die in freezing temperatures. One of the main problems Walking Catfish cause is that they eat large amounts of fish stock. Attempting to stop this problem, Fish Farmers put up fences to keep Walking Catfish out of their precious farms. Also, these invader species could potentially bring a disease to farmed catfish. The Florida government created a law that banned the importation and ownership of Walking Catfish. However, the farmers who posessed Walking Catfish released them into bodies of water so they wouldn't be charged.

Photos

Sources

http://www.columbia.edu/itc/cerc/danoff-burg/invasion_bio/inv_spp_summ/Clarius_batrachus.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walking_catfish#As_invasive_species