Fish Chat and Slam: December 3 – 5, 2024
USGS led partners on a bio-blitz-like event in southern Florida in early December 2024 to track new introductions and possible spread of non-native freshwater fishes.
Fifty-six biologists from 12 organizations participated in a three-day Fish Chat and Slam event in southern Florida on December 3-5, 2024. The one-day Fish Chat, held at the Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge visitor center, provided an opportunity for participants from different agencies and institutions to discuss ongoing and future projects related to non-native and invasive freshwater fishes. Topics presented included: updates on Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) projects throughout the state and U.S. Army Corp of Engineers Everglades restoration projects, a summary of progress and steps forward from a swamp eel summit held in September 2023, a summary of a current central Florida swamp eel life history project, challenges faced with early detection and rapid response to control the spread of nonnative species, modeling nonnative fish species, and an update on ongoing caecilian research.

The two-day Fish Slam event took place in nearby Palm Beach and Broward counties where 33 freshwater sites were sampled for non-native fishes. Sampling gear included electrofishing boats, backpack electrofisher, minnow traps, cast nets, seines, dipnets, and hook and line. Eighteen species of non-native fishes were collected or observed. This is the seventeenth Fish Slam event since the program began in 2013.
The collection of a large adult Gangetic swamp eel, Ophicthys cuchia, from the Hillsboro Canal is significant. This species has only recently been collected from the wild in the state of Florida (2023) and only from a few waterbodies in Central Florida. This is the first documented collection from southern Florida. Ophichthys cuchia at first glance looks like the established Asian swamp eel, Monopterus javanensis; however, upon close inspection, O. cuchia has scales where M. javanensis has none. Both species breath air from the surface holding the air in sacs on the head. Ophichthys cuchia has air sacs that fill laterally almost giving the appearance of filling cheeks while M. javanensis holds air ventrally in the throat.

Fish Slam events link research institutions such as museums and universities with federal, state, tribal, and local government agencies that possess expertise and field equipment to collect non-native fishes, providing unique access to specimens for these institutions. This slam included representatives from the Florida Museum, FWC Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, and Augusta University. Non-native fishes were tissue-sampled for DNA collections, and then preserved for future research. Data from these collections are available in publicly accessible databases, such as the Florida Museum Specify web portal.

Non-native fishes collected or observed during Fish Slam December 2024
Scientific Name | Common Name |
Ctenopharyngodon idella | grass carp |
Chitala ornata | clown knifefish |
Hoplosternum littorale | brown hoplo |
Hypostomus plecostomus | suckermouth catfish |
Pterygoplichthys spp. | sailfin catfish |
Clarias batrachus | walking catfish |
Monopterus javanensis | Asian swamp eel |
Ophichthys cuchia | Gangetic swamp eel |
Astronotus ocellatus | oscar |
Cichla ocellaris | butterfly peacock bass |
Mayaheros urophthalmus | Mayan cichlid |
Hemichromis letourneuxi | African jewelfish |
Oreochromis sp. | tilapia |
Parachromis managuensis | jaguar guapote |
Pelmatolapia mariae | spotted tilapia |
Vieja melanura | redhead cichlid |
Channa aurolineata | goldline snakehead |
Trichopsis vittata | croaking gourami |
All field observations of non-native species were entered into the USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species database.
Participants of the December 2024 Fish Slam
The participants of the December 2024 Fish Chat and Slam were: Joe Andreoli (Seminole Tribe of Florida), James Ballard (USFWS), Henry Bartels (UF), Josh Bauer (USACE), Emilie Barenghien (Augusta Univ), Arthur Bernhardt (FWC), Jesse Blanchard (FIU), Chelsea Bohaty (USACE), Mary Brown (USGS), Jorge Beuning (USFWS), Maddie Carlson (UF), Kayla Criddle (FWC), Andre Daniels (USGS), Emily Dean (USGS), Nathan DeGray (FWC), Chase DeJarnett (FWC), Kirk Dunn (FWC), Jake Edwards (USACE), David Eng (FWC), Katie Everett (UF), Madison Fishman (FWC), Jonathan Freedman (CNSS), John Galvez (USFWS), Kelly Gestring (FWC), Sergio Gonzalez (Seminole Tribe of Florida), Jesse Hall (USACE), Jeff Heiges (USFWS), Julia Izzo (USFWS), Howard Jelks (USGS - retired), Ian Jin (USFWS), Anila Kankipati (Augusta Univ), Jeff Kline (NPS), Aleah Koskinen (FWC), Kaitlin Kovacs (USGS), Jon Lane (USACE), Rachel Liebman (FWC), V Makowski (Augusta Univ), Sam McPherson (FWC), Jen Moran (FWC), Kassie Murphy (USACE), Matt Neilson (USGS), Aidan O’Brein (UM), Owen Ossman (USFWS), Noah Peterson (FWC), Austin Plagens (Augusta Univ), Rob Robins (FM), KristieRae Saenger (FWC), Kat Sawickij (FWC), Dare Scott (student services contractor to USGS), Chris Searcy (UM), Randy Singer (Augusta Univ), Courtney Stachowiak (FWC), Nick Trippel (FWC), Jennessy Toribio (FWC), Quenton Tuckett (UF), and Natalie van Hoose
Institutional acronyms: CNSS – Cherokee Nation System Solutions; FIU – Florida International University; FM – Florida Museum; FWC – Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission; NPS – National Park Service; UF – University of Florida; UM – University of Miami; USACE – U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; USFWS – U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; USGS – U.S. Geological Survey
We are grateful to our colleagues who volunteered their time and efforts to make Fish Slam successful. Special thanks to Josh Wilsey (FWC) for assistance with permits and the Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge for hosting the chat and providing a space to process fish collections and store electrofishing boats.














Learn more about previous Fish Slams
Fish Slam December 2023
Fish Slam May 2023
Fish Chat and Slam December 2022
Southwest Florida Fish Slam – Spring 2022
Virtual Fish Slam - March 2021
Fish Chat and Slam November 2019
Treasure Coast and Central Florida Fish Slams - 2019
Fish Slam November 2018
Fish Slam - November 2017
Spring Fish Slam 2017 – Big Cypress
Fish Slam - Fall 2016
Fish Slam - Spring 2016
USGS led partners on a bio-blitz-like event in southern Florida in early December 2024 to track new introductions and possible spread of non-native freshwater fishes.
Fifty-six biologists from 12 organizations participated in a three-day Fish Chat and Slam event in southern Florida on December 3-5, 2024. The one-day Fish Chat, held at the Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge visitor center, provided an opportunity for participants from different agencies and institutions to discuss ongoing and future projects related to non-native and invasive freshwater fishes. Topics presented included: updates on Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) projects throughout the state and U.S. Army Corp of Engineers Everglades restoration projects, a summary of progress and steps forward from a swamp eel summit held in September 2023, a summary of a current central Florida swamp eel life history project, challenges faced with early detection and rapid response to control the spread of nonnative species, modeling nonnative fish species, and an update on ongoing caecilian research.

The two-day Fish Slam event took place in nearby Palm Beach and Broward counties where 33 freshwater sites were sampled for non-native fishes. Sampling gear included electrofishing boats, backpack electrofisher, minnow traps, cast nets, seines, dipnets, and hook and line. Eighteen species of non-native fishes were collected or observed. This is the seventeenth Fish Slam event since the program began in 2013.
The collection of a large adult Gangetic swamp eel, Ophicthys cuchia, from the Hillsboro Canal is significant. This species has only recently been collected from the wild in the state of Florida (2023) and only from a few waterbodies in Central Florida. This is the first documented collection from southern Florida. Ophichthys cuchia at first glance looks like the established Asian swamp eel, Monopterus javanensis; however, upon close inspection, O. cuchia has scales where M. javanensis has none. Both species breath air from the surface holding the air in sacs on the head. Ophichthys cuchia has air sacs that fill laterally almost giving the appearance of filling cheeks while M. javanensis holds air ventrally in the throat.

Fish Slam events link research institutions such as museums and universities with federal, state, tribal, and local government agencies that possess expertise and field equipment to collect non-native fishes, providing unique access to specimens for these institutions. This slam included representatives from the Florida Museum, FWC Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, and Augusta University. Non-native fishes were tissue-sampled for DNA collections, and then preserved for future research. Data from these collections are available in publicly accessible databases, such as the Florida Museum Specify web portal.

Non-native fishes collected or observed during Fish Slam December 2024
Scientific Name | Common Name |
Ctenopharyngodon idella | grass carp |
Chitala ornata | clown knifefish |
Hoplosternum littorale | brown hoplo |
Hypostomus plecostomus | suckermouth catfish |
Pterygoplichthys spp. | sailfin catfish |
Clarias batrachus | walking catfish |
Monopterus javanensis | Asian swamp eel |
Ophichthys cuchia | Gangetic swamp eel |
Astronotus ocellatus | oscar |
Cichla ocellaris | butterfly peacock bass |
Mayaheros urophthalmus | Mayan cichlid |
Hemichromis letourneuxi | African jewelfish |
Oreochromis sp. | tilapia |
Parachromis managuensis | jaguar guapote |
Pelmatolapia mariae | spotted tilapia |
Vieja melanura | redhead cichlid |
Channa aurolineata | goldline snakehead |
Trichopsis vittata | croaking gourami |
All field observations of non-native species were entered into the USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species database.
Participants of the December 2024 Fish Slam
The participants of the December 2024 Fish Chat and Slam were: Joe Andreoli (Seminole Tribe of Florida), James Ballard (USFWS), Henry Bartels (UF), Josh Bauer (USACE), Emilie Barenghien (Augusta Univ), Arthur Bernhardt (FWC), Jesse Blanchard (FIU), Chelsea Bohaty (USACE), Mary Brown (USGS), Jorge Beuning (USFWS), Maddie Carlson (UF), Kayla Criddle (FWC), Andre Daniels (USGS), Emily Dean (USGS), Nathan DeGray (FWC), Chase DeJarnett (FWC), Kirk Dunn (FWC), Jake Edwards (USACE), David Eng (FWC), Katie Everett (UF), Madison Fishman (FWC), Jonathan Freedman (CNSS), John Galvez (USFWS), Kelly Gestring (FWC), Sergio Gonzalez (Seminole Tribe of Florida), Jesse Hall (USACE), Jeff Heiges (USFWS), Julia Izzo (USFWS), Howard Jelks (USGS - retired), Ian Jin (USFWS), Anila Kankipati (Augusta Univ), Jeff Kline (NPS), Aleah Koskinen (FWC), Kaitlin Kovacs (USGS), Jon Lane (USACE), Rachel Liebman (FWC), V Makowski (Augusta Univ), Sam McPherson (FWC), Jen Moran (FWC), Kassie Murphy (USACE), Matt Neilson (USGS), Aidan O’Brein (UM), Owen Ossman (USFWS), Noah Peterson (FWC), Austin Plagens (Augusta Univ), Rob Robins (FM), KristieRae Saenger (FWC), Kat Sawickij (FWC), Dare Scott (student services contractor to USGS), Chris Searcy (UM), Randy Singer (Augusta Univ), Courtney Stachowiak (FWC), Nick Trippel (FWC), Jennessy Toribio (FWC), Quenton Tuckett (UF), and Natalie van Hoose
Institutional acronyms: CNSS – Cherokee Nation System Solutions; FIU – Florida International University; FM – Florida Museum; FWC – Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission; NPS – National Park Service; UF – University of Florida; UM – University of Miami; USACE – U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; USFWS – U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; USGS – U.S. Geological Survey
We are grateful to our colleagues who volunteered their time and efforts to make Fish Slam successful. Special thanks to Josh Wilsey (FWC) for assistance with permits and the Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge for hosting the chat and providing a space to process fish collections and store electrofishing boats.














Learn more about previous Fish Slams