Considering this is an aquarium forum, I thought a thread on this would be interesting. Freshwater and marine ecosystems have definitely been hit the worst by invasive species. I know a lot of people think they're not doing anything harmless or they're helping the animal. Getting to know some of the active posters, I know they wouldn't make mistakes like these but it worries me a bit whenever I see an introduction thread about having three plecos in a ten gallon tank. Most people panic and just let them go.

In most places, invasive species usually tend to be Oscars and Cichlids which are popular aquarium fish. I happen to live in Florida, which I'm going to call "THE worst case scenario". We have an extremely populated area in between two important ecosystems. One being the Everglades and the other being the Florida Keys. Living here for most of my life, I've seen lots of changes.

1. More people
2. Less of the everglades.
3. A lot more animals that don't belong.

The first two are directly correlated. The more people we have here, the more contractors want to build. Unfortunately Florida isn't very wide. It saddens me when I pass through an area that used to be a beautiful swamp full of native birds turned into a ground zero, ready for a suburb-utopia.

Number three is an effect of numbers one and two, and not just because people release invasive species but because the area those creatures lived in has been displaced. Everyday I see more bird species that belong in the Everglades in people's backyards. It used to be a rare sighting, now they're just blending in.

There is a number four and that is the marine ecosystems here. I didn't list it because it isn't as obvious and it is harder to notice, but it is happening all the time.

It's hard to count how many Iguanas I see in a mile, mainly because I lose count. The fact that every Palm Tree that is here, shouldn't be here...

The most destructive species are the Pythons tearing through the Everglades and the Lionfish decimating our few coral reefs.

Like I said, Florida is a worst case scenario. We have bounties on animals because of our carelessness.

This thread is mostly a reminder, but feel free to discuss any experiences you have with invasive species and how it affects where you live.

__________________

I totally get what you're saying.

The Cain toads in Australia are really wreaking havoc too! Pretty sure they aren't a Native species.

In Canada, there is a purple weed flower that is choking out natural marsh plants. It's really bad too, because if you touch it and then any of it gets in your eyes, you can go blind. Not cool. Not cool at all! Not sure if it's a native plant or was introduced.

Well.... the plant isn't so much what you were talking about, lol, but I do know what you mean. It's sad. We have coyotes stealing people's little dogs right out of the yards. (That's what happens when you take all the land and the animals have no where to go right?!)

__________________
20g Heavily Planted http://www.aquariumforum.com/gallery...00&ppuser=8981
36g Bow Front Heavily Planted http://www.aquariumforum.com/gallery...00&ppuser=8981

Cane Toads are eeeeeeeeevil. Haha. There are those here too but not as many as in Australia. There was recent documentary on them. It was described as a docu-horror.

It was a great film though, and it was scary when it predicted the movement for the Cane Toads in a few years. A lot of the people interviewed had already given up saying they can't stop the problem.

Plants are terribly misplaced too and most definitely part of the problem. When I'm driving down A1A, it's easier to count the native trees. :/

It's ironic mentioning the Cane Toads in Australia, because most of the invasive species of plants (at least in Florida) are from Australia.

__________________

Gah, this topic always strikes a nerve, especially since a lot of the blame can be safely pointed at people in our hobby (like the lionfish).

The Florida situation sounds pretty bad. I live on coastal New England, and it's gotten to the point where tidepooling yields more boxer crabs than anything else, with green crabs a close second. Boxer crabs have been invasive for the last 30 or so years, and they've completely decimated some intertidal ecosystems (I mean, green crabs are invasive too, but they're been here for ~400 years).

And tons of marsh areas have been totally overtaken by Australian Phragmites reeds. The problem is, Phragmites propagates, so when they try to pull it up, huge chunks of the bank/mud get pulled up with it, which can jeopardize the baby fish sanctuary of the salt marsh...

ARGH.

__________________
Don't believe anything you read on the net. Except this. Well, including this, I suppose.
- Douglas Adams

There is an awful lot of invasive aquarium plants that have done a lot of damage to the ecosystem. Oklahoma has a list of those illegal here and I imagine every state has their own list. It is the same with fish.

Here is our list of plants that we aren't suppose to own
800:20-3-2. List of declared noxious aquatic plant species
(a) Pursuant to 29 O. S., Section 6-601, the following plants, seeds or plant parts are hereby declared to be noxious:
(1) Azolla pinnata - Mosquito Fern (aka - Water Velvet, Water Fern)
(2) Caulerpa taxifolia - Caulerpa (aka - Mediterranean Clone of Caulerpa)
(3) Eichhornia azure - Anchored Water Hyacinth (aka - Rooted Water Hyacinth, Blue Water Hyacinth, Saw-petal Water Hyacinth)
(4) Hydrilla verticillata - Hydrilla (aka - Florida Elodea, Star Vine, Oxygen Plant, Oxygen Weed)
(5) Hygrophila polysperma - Hygro (aka - Miramar Weed, Green Hygro, Oriental Ludwigia, East Indian Hygrophila)
(6) Ipomoea aquatica - Water Spinach (aka - Swamp Morning Glory, Chinese Water Spinach, Water Bindweed, Aquatic Morning Glory)
(7) Lagarosiphon major - African Elodea (aka - Oxygen Weed)
(8.) Limnophila species - Ambulia (aka - Asian Marshweed, Limno, Red Ambulia, Indian Ambulia)
(9) Lythrum salicaria - Purple Loosestrife (aka - Loosestrife)
(10) Marsilea quadrifolia - Marsilea (aka - European Waterclover, Four-leaf Clover Fern, Water Fern, Water Clover, Hairy Pepperwort)
(11) Marsilea mutica - Australian Waterclover (aka - Varigated Water-clover, Nardoo)
(12) Marsilea minuta - Waterclover
(13) Melaleuca quinquenervia - Paperbark Tree (aka - Melaleuca, Cajeput, Punk)
(14) Monochoria hastata - Cat's Claw (aka - Monochoria)
(15) Ottellia alismoides - Duck Lettuce
(16) Sagittaria sagittifolia - Japanese Arrowhead (aka - Hawaiian Arrowhead, Common Arrowhead, Chinese Arrowhead)
(17) Salvinia spp. - all giant and common salvinia species - (aka - Salvinia, Butterfly Fern, Water Fern, Water Moss, Water Velvet, Karibaweed, Koi Kandy, Water Spangles, Floating Fern, South American Pond Fern)
(1Cool Alternanthera spp. - Alligatorweed and congeneric species (aka - Alligator-weed, Chaff Flower, lilacina, roseafolia)
(19) Solanum tampicense - Wetland Nightshade
(20) Sparganium erectum - Exotic Bur-reed
(21) Glossostigma diandrum - Mud Mat
(b) The following species are classified as "Species to Watch" and are not currently listed as noxious aquatic plants. However, they are aquatic plants whose impact on the Oklahoma environment is presently unknown, and therefore, may be considered for inclusion on the noxious aquatic plant list (above) as additional information becomes available to, and as deemed necessary by, the Department of Wildlife Conservation:
(1) Colocasia esculenta - Wild Taro (aka - Green Taro, Elephant Ear, Taro, Dasheen)
(2) Egeria densa - Brazilian Waterweed (aka - Common Waterweed, Brazilian Elodea, Anacharis, Oxygen Weed, Elodea)
(3) Eichhornia crassipes - Floating Water Hyacinth (aka - Water-hyacinth)
(4) Hydrocleys nymphoides - Water-poppy (aka - Hydrocleys, Hydrocleis)
(5) Iris pseudacorus - Yellow Iris (aka - Yellow Flag, Yellow Flag Iris)
(6) Ludwigia hexapetala - Uruguay Seedbox (aka - Water Primrose)
(7) Myriophyllum spicatum - Eurasian Watermilfoil (aka - European Watermilfoil, Watermilfoil, Fox Tail)
(Cool Myriophyllum aquaticum - Parrotfeather (aka - Parrot's Feather, Watermilfoil, Golden Myriophyllum)
(9) Najas minor - Brittle Naiad (aka - Slender Naiad, Spiny leaf Naiad)
(10) Nymphoides peltata - Yellow Floating Heart (aka - Floating Heart)
(11) Panicum repens - Torpedo Grass (aka - Torpedograss)
(12) Pistia stratiotes - Water Lettuce
(13) Spirodela punctata - Dotted Duckweed (aka - Punctate Duckweed, Spotted Duckweed, Giant Duckweed)
(14) Trapa natans - Water Chestnut (aka - European Water Chestnut)
[Source: Added at 18 Ok Reg 2918, eff 7-1-01; Amended at 18 Ok Reg 2998, eff 7-2-01 (emergency); Amended at 19 Ok Reg 1525, eff 7-1-02; Amended at 23 Ok Reg 1581, eff 7-1-06]

and fish
800:20-1-2. List of restricted exotic species
(a) Until such time as is necessary for the Department of Wildlife Conservation to obtain adequate information for the determination of other harmful or potentially harmful exotic species, the importation into the State and/or the possession of the following exotic fish or their eggs is prohibited:
(1) Walking Catfish: The Walking Catfish, (Clarius batrachus) and other members of the exotic catfish family Claridae, including but not limited to species of the genera Clarias, Heteropneustes, Gymnallables, Channallabes, and Heterobranchus are prohibited. Any live specimens of walking Catfish or other Claridae species within the boundaries of the State of Oklahoma are contraband and subject to seizure by the Department of Wildlife Conservation.
(2) Grass carp: Release of grass carp, also known as white amur or Chinese carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) or their hybrids into public waters is prohibited in accordance with 29 O.S., Section 6-504. Importation, possession and introduction of grass carp or their hybrids for the purpose of stocking private waters is permitted.
(3) Boney-tongue group: Osteoglossum spp., and Arapaima spp.
(4) Piranha group: Serrasalmus spp., Pygocentrus spp., Rooseveltiella spp., Catoprion spp., Hydrocynus spp., and Salminus spp.
(5) Electric Eel (Electrophorus electricus).
(6) Electric catfish (Malapterus electricus).
(7) Gar-pike topminnow (Belonesox belizanus).
(8.) Snakehead groups: Opicephalus spp., and Channa spp.
(9) Pavon or Peacock Bass (Chichla temensis and Chichia ocellaris).
(10) Parasitic South American Catfish group (Candiru), genera & species of the Trichomycteridae family. Vandellia spp., Tridens spp., and Pyqidium spp.
(11) Freshwater Stingray group: Paratrygon spp., Potomotrygon spp.,
and Disceus spp.
(12) Houri (from South America): Macrodon spp., and Hoplias spp.
(13) Rudd and rudd hybrids (Scardinius spp.).
(b) The following species shall be permitted by application and written letter of authorization from the Department of Wildlife Conservation for research purpose only:
(1) Bighead carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix).
(2) Silver carp (Aristichthys nobilis).
(3) Black carp (Mylopharyngodon piceus).
(4) Alewives (Aloso pseudoharengus).
(5) Rainbow smelt (Osmerus mordax).
(c) Tilapia:
(1) The sale and use of all Tilapia species as bait is prohibited.
(2) The stocking of all Tilapia species in any heated-water reservoir including Sooner, Konawa and Boomer Reservoirs is prohibited.
(3) This shall not interfere with the sale of dead and/or processed Tilapia for human food or the sale or transport of Tilapia species for the purpose of aquatic vegetation control in privately owned ponds.
[Source: Amended at 8 Ok Reg 2005, eff 5-13-91]

There are a few on this list that you can have with a permit. That way if something is released they go to these people.

__________________
SUCCESS IS MEASURED BY YEARS, NOT MONTHS!!!
220 Tank build
http://www.aquariumforum.com/f15/sta...late-3253.html