Exotic Species Alert on The Santa Fe River
Armored sailfin catfish (Pterygoplichthys sp.) have been captured and positively identified in Poe Spring on the Santa Fe River. This is the first time they have been sighted in the Suwannee Rive/Santa Fe Basins. These armored sucker-mouth catfish, also known as Plecostomus or “Plecos” in the aquarium trade, are exotic and invasive here in Florida. They are already established in other Florida watersheds and do extensive damage when they burrow into the banks of spring runs and rivers.
It is hoped that the armored catfish sighted at Poe Spring represent a limited population and can be eradicated. If you observe these “plecos” anywhere along the Santa Fe, Suwannee, Ichetucknee, or Withlacoochee Rivers, please contact Pete Butt at kars...@windstream.net, 386-454-2147 or Dr. Leo Nico at lni...@usgs.gov, 352-264-3501.