Story at a glance
- Researchers from Texas A&M removed 406 suckermouth armored catfish from the San Marcos River.
- The fish are also called plecos or algea eaters and can quickly outnumber local fish.
- The fish were most likely introduced to the river through aquarium dumping.
Researchers had to remove hundreds of an invasive species of catfish from a Texas river this week, which was introduced to local bodies of water via aquarium dumping.
Researchers from Texas A&M removed more than 400 suckermouth armored catfish from the San Marcos River during a dewatering event, according to Spectrum News.
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The fish, also known as plecos or algae eaters, are considered pests and can quickly outnumber native fish species, threatening local populations. The fish also burrows into riverbeds, which can then lead to bank collapses, according to Newsweek.
The species is mainly found in South America and in the Central American countries of Panama and Costa Rica. They have been able to make their way to the United States and gotten into waterways in Florida, Texas, Nevada and potentially Wisconsin, the outlet reported.
All of the captured fish were euthanized.
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