USGS finds yellow tang and panther grouper off Florida Coast

I hate seeing articles like this - they make us all look bad!! Who the heck releases their fish back into the ocean??? and the wrong ocean even .... grrr

Tropical fish from Pacific show up off South Florida coast - South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com


Tropical fish from Pacific show up off South Florida coast


By David Fleshler
2:40 p.m. EST, November 30, 2011

Could one of these species be the next lionfish? Three non-native tropical fish have reappeared off the southeast Florida coast, years after they had last been seen, according to a news release from the U.S. Geological Survey.

A yellow tang, a native of the northwest and central Pacific Ocean, was spotted off the coast of Pompano Beach this year, after previous sightings of Pompano, Delray Beach and Boca Raton. The panther grouper, a spotted fish with large wavy fins native to the Indian and Pacific oceans, appeared off West Palm Beach. And the spotted scat, also native to the Indian and Pacific oceans, which has venomous spines, was caught in three feet of water near the St. Lucie Inlet.

All these fish are thought to have been released by aquarium hobbyists.

Many non-native species come and go without causing damage. But a few like the lionfish, which is multiplying around South Florida’s coral reefs and gobbling up fish, establish themselves securely and begin crowding out native species.

“With any non-native species released into the wild, the concern is the possibility of them reproducing and spreading, ” said USGS biologist Pam Schofield, who tracks the occurrence of non-native marine fishes through the USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species database, according to the news release. “So far, the only non-native marine fish to demonstrate that ability in Florida has been the lionfish…and that has become an invasive species, spreading quickly throughout the Gulf and Atlantic coasts, as well as the across the Caribbean.”

“It is important to detect and remove non-native species as soon as possible, hopefully before they are able to reproduce and spread,” said Schofield. “Once a species becomes established, it is nearly impossible to eradicate. We hope that our early detection and rapid response efforts will reduce the likelihood of another situation like the lionfish.”

Copyright © 2011, South Florida Sun-Sentinel

What amuses me is that they are using the term "aquarium hobbyist" for the person(s) releasing these fish. Wait a sec - if it was an aquarium hobbyist, the fish would be in the aquarium of the hobbyist. The people that release these fish in the wild are "animal rights activists" or people who don't believe in keeping animals as pets. I seriously doubt they would release the animal while keeping others in captivity. A bit hypocritical, wouldn't you agree?

Originally Posted by LadyOfIreland

What amuses me is that they are using the term "aquarium hobbyist" for the person(s) releasing these fish. Wait a sec - if it was an aquarium hobbyist, the fish would be in the aquarium of the hobbyist. The people that release these fish in the wild are "animal rights activists" or people who don't believe in keeping animals as pets. I seriously doubt they would release the animal while keeping others in captivity. A bit hypocritical, wouldn't you agree?

COULD NOT AGREE MORE!!!!!!!
A few years back they found a few snakeheads in the lagoons of the one yatch club down the street from me....You know they did not show up on their own....

Originally Posted by consumedcorals

COULD NOT AGREE MORE!!!!!!!
A few years back they found a few snakeheads in the lagoons of the one yatch club down the street from me....You know they did not show up on their own....

That's just terrible!!! Makes me

Hobbyists have released fish.

What does little Johnny do when the 2" panther grouper he bought for his 55g tank gets to be 6" long? Why, he's watched 'Finding Nemo' enough times to know.. Be free little grouper!

Originally Posted by Ashlar

Hobbyists have released fish.

What does little Johnny do when the 2" panther grouper he bought for his 55g tank gets to be 6" long? Why, he's watched 'Finding Nemo' enough times to know.. Be free little grouper!

True. I just think it's unfair to assume it is a hobbyist releasing these fish. And a bit ridiculous to loop true aquarium hobbyists in with people who release animals in the wild. If "little Johnny" has a 55 gallon tank, but believes the fish in the movie Nemo, then he isn't a true hobbyist, nor should he even be in the hobby, because he obviously has no idea what he's doing. It's just a slap in the face to those of us who take the hobby seriously.

It's just like other things in life that get misconstrued. For example, cops getting a bad rep because of all the violence that has been spread on the news. My dad's a cop, and he'd never do the foolish, violent things we see on the news so often. Yet people still call him "pig" and assume he is like the others.

Gah! Stereotyping >.< Can't get away from it in this world. Is a shame

Originally Posted by LadyOfIreland

It's just like other things in life that get misconstrued. For example, cops getting a bad rep because of all the violence that has been spread on the news. My dad's a cop, and he'd never do the foolish, violent things we see on the news so often. Yet people still call him "pig" and assume he is like the others.

Gah! Stereotyping >.< Can't get away from it in this world. Is a shame

+1

Plus - I always ask myself - where are little Johnny's parents?? I'd hope Johnny's parents would have the gumption to say "Hey, Johnny, your fishie doesnt below in the ocean anymore, we need to find him a new forever home in someone else's tank"

But then again, I'm also someone who thinks that people who leave boxes of kittens on the doorsteps of the animal shelter are retards too - just because they woke up one morning and decided they didn't like them anymore doesn't mean they aren't responsible for finding the kittens a new home. Instead, they force a public organization to do it from them, and vote no on any tax levies they may want to levy due to increased operating costs, because people drop off boxes of unwanted kittens instead of paying to have pets neutered..... haha

enough ranting I promise...

People suck, but in all reality, there are always a-holes that ruin it for everyone. There's the crazies that make gun owners look bad, the crazies that make pet owners look bad, the crazies that make lawyers look bad, etc. In reality, tropical coastlines probably should require a permitting process to obtain animals that can survive in the wild so ignorant douches can't destroy the ecosystem and the hobby for everyone else.

I did it,it was me,he just grow to big for my tank so I let him go. And I left the box of kittens on the doorstep as well

well then i'm crossing the pond and using those boots above on you

Really though a hobbyist is a responsible keeper of what they care about. Releasing it into an ocean it doesn't belong in is not responsible. I mean I've let goldfish go in my pond, which has no way of getting into any stream or river, but that's about the extent of it. Doing something like these people did should require an idiot license and be drawn and quartered in the court square!

wouldnt a hobbyist,try to sell or trade the fish ?

I mean I cant tell ya how many times we have traded or taken fish from other hobiest for one reason or another.


People do crazy things but tossing away that kind of money doesnt make any sense.

I did know a fella who had raised a gator once and drove it all the way to the glades to a private farm and released it.

What says the fish didn't just swim there? They swim 25 miles a day! lol

Maybe it WAS like finding nemo, the Tang was looking for its kid in one of our tanks and the grouper was helping!

Knuckle heads.... just plain nuckle heads.

Well it really does suck but at least it's not a lion fish breed or some other predator that has nothing that eats it.
Since the pro proses bann for harvesting Hawaii fish maybe they should be relocated.

oh I'm sure lion fish are there. With how many are in the Caribbean, there's got to be some on the east coast!

Originally Posted by TimH07

What says the fish didn't just swim there? They swim 25 miles a day! lol

Maybe it WAS like finding nemo, the Tang was looking for its kid in one of our tanks and the grouper was helping!

Crazier things have happened!!

Lost emperor penguin offered a lift home - Australian Geographic

ohhhh that poor guy - I can't imagine eating all that sand

gotta be one heck of a tummy ache!!!

Watched a show last night. They showed a diver off the coast of Florida. About 4 miles out. They found an old plane upside down. In a few of the shots there were lion fish. Made me sick knowing they aren't supposed to be there!

Watched a show last night. They showed a diver off the coast of Florida. About 4 miles out. They found an old plane upside down. In a few of the shots there were lion fish. Made me sick knowing they aren't supposed to be there!

Sad to say that the Lionfish and Yellow Tangs are waaay up the coast of Florida now. I first started seeing them in the keys, and now as far up as Sebastian.

I'm pretty much guaranteed to see a Lionfish every time I go out diving or snorkeling here in Palm Beach.

do you try to catch or spear them? From what I hear, they want you to kill as many as you can.