Marine officials in the Florida Keys are attempting to catch a pair of non-native Batfish that have been seen in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.
The Orbiculate batfish, Platax orbicularis, were spotted recently and are believed to have been dumped by an aquarium owner who could no longer accommodate them.
Lad Akins, the Executive Director of the Environmental Foundation told The Ledger that these fish appeal to fishkeepers when they are small, but soon become too big for the average tank:
"They are illegal aliens as both state and federal regulations prohibit introducing nonnative species.
"Rather than waiting to find out what the impact is going to be, we have an opportunity to prevent impacts from ever taking hold."