New invasive species emerges in Florida — a 10-foot-long river monster
 

Not good news.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/florida...asive-species/

Thanks for sharing its important for people in the hobby to read and critique this

This article is very contradicting. Insinuates This arapaima is a new invasive species and like lionfish, arapaima feed on commercially important fish, increasing their threat to the economy" meanwhile the one that was found was DEAD.
Then:
#1 "There is no evidence that arapaima have reproduced in the wild in Florida,"

#2 "someone could have brought it here already dead and let it go just to start some (expletive). There's no telling. We don't know."

#3 "they can even die in water that's 60 degrees or colder. However, they could survive in the waters of extreme southeast Florida." I spent over 20 years living in Southeast Florida and waters DO GET BELOW 60 F

#4 "there is likely more in Florida," What makes the Dr. Say that......The presence of a dead one that had no evidence of being mated how do I know TRUST ME THEY would have said if it was pregnant

This article is EXACTLY like If I found a Dead Polar Bear in the everglades and reported it as a possible new invasive species. The FL FWC is really getting disgusting in their scare tactics they are using to gain publicity and media attention for themselves.

To be fair, the evidence lacking "invasive" claim was made only by the news outlet; not all copies of this AP story carry the same headline, nor do some others that wrote their own article.

FL FWC was not cited as making this claim, and was in fact cited as essentially denying it, so they aren't using the claim to do anything.

I think we have become adversely sensitized to the phrase
'invasive species' because it involves some animals that herp enthusiasts would like to keep. But I have no doubt whatsoever that there ARE invasive species. I recall pulling Japanese beetles off of flower plants outside when I was young, and there would be zillions of them.

Here is an interesting article with a control perspective: eat the invaders. These fish are 10 feet long, and a few of them would make several fish fry dinners for a family. I think as a fast start to population control, fishing them could be exempted for need of a fishing license, and no limit.

https://www.scientificamerican.com/a...to-submission/

Doesn't anyone else find humor and irony about the most invasive species on the planet getting it's panties in a wad over some other less invasive species showing up where it "doesn't belong"?

That being said, it seems to me that if some organism winds up on some foreign shore by a "natural" means (whatever that may be), that is OK. But woe betide any organism that chooses some mechanism by the hand of mankind to do the same thing.

Isn't that really just splitting hairs concerning HOW something got to where it is now getting a foothold in extending it's range? What makes one method natural and another unnatural? And what natural law excludes mankind from being used in such endeavors by nature?

Or is there some other natural law that dictates that the ranges of all species must be now locked in concrete based on what and where it is NOW, and they can never be allowed to show up elsewhere without being considered as
"invasive??

I don't know that that is OK. It would depend on how economically disruptive it was in the new area. If some new to the area critter were to prey upon and significantly destroy numbers of chickens or cattle or mussels or crabs or corn or whatever locally important economic resource it would be unwelcome no matter how it got there.

What's funny is Florida FWC actually did a controlled release of them in the past to see if they could survive in Florida waters. Here in Texas they did the same with nile perch, tiger fish, and musky.

It appears that the arapaima is real good eating. Heck, if I could trade a few filets for a bag of squirrels, I would be all for it. :hehe:

Speaking of which..... Bringing popular South American food fish to Florida