Fifty-four biologists from nine organizations, including USGS, participated in a two-day Fish Slam event on December 13 - 14, 2023 in Southwest Florida.
Fifty-four biologists from nine organizations participated in a two-day Fish Slam event on December 13-14, 2023. Thirty-one freshwater sites in southwest Florida in Sarasota, Charlotte, Glades, Lee, Hendry, and Collier counties were sampled for nonnative fishes. Sampling gear included electrofishing boats, backpack electrofishers, minnow traps, seines, dipnets, and hook and line. Sixteen species of nonnative fishes were collected or observed. This is the sixteenth Fish Slam event since the program began in 2013.
No new species were detected at this Fish Slam, but we did observe some possible range expansions from the last time we sampled this area in Spring 2022. Jaguar guapote, Parachromis managuensis, and oscar, Astronotus ocellatus, are common on the eastern coast of south Florida, but much less so on the west coast. We collected specimens of each species at two of the sites sampled. Asian swamp eels, Monopterus javanensis, were collected at five sites, farther south than previous collections. A common carp, Cyprinus carpio, was also collected. This species is common throughout the U.S., but rare in peninsular Florida. Clown knifefish, Chitala ornata, were collected at the previous Fish Slam in this area, however after resampling those sites, no knifefish were detected.
Fish Slam events link research institutions such as museums and universities with federal, state, and local government agencies that possess expertise and field equipment to collect nonnative fishes, providing the institution unique access to specimens. Representatives from the University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, and the Florida Museum participated in this Fish Slam. Nonnative 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.
Nonnative fishes collected or observed during Fish Slam December 2023
| Scientific Name | Common Name |
| Ctenopharyngodon idella | grass carp |
| Cyprinus carpio | common carp |
| Hoplosternum littorale | brown hoplo |
| Pterygoplichthys spp. | sailfin catfishes |
| Clarias batrachus | walking catfish |
| Belonesox belizanus | pike killifish |
| Dorosoma petenense | threadfin shad |
| Monopterus javanensis | Asian swamp eel |
| Astronotus ocellatus | oscar |
| Cichla ocellaris | butterfly peacock bass |
| Rubricatochromis (Hemichromis) letourneuxi | African jewelfish |
| Mayaheros urophthalmus | Mayan cichlid |
| Oreochromis sp. | tilapia |
| Parachromis managuensis | jaguar guapote |
| Pelmatolapia mariae | spotted tilapia |
| Sarotherodon melanotheron | blackchin tilapia |
Native species, along with stocked, triploid (sterile) grass carp, Ctenopharyngodon idella, that were caught during Fish Slam were returned to the wild alive per the requirements of the scientific collectors’ permit issued for the event. All field observations of nonnative species were entered into the USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species database.
Participants of the December 2023 Fish Slam
Art Bernhardt (FWC), Jesse Blanchard (FIU), Ken Blick (USFWS), Mary Brown (USGS), Jorge Buening (USFWS), Kelly Chase (UF), Haley Crowell (UMMZ), Jacob Cunningham (FWC), John David Curlis (UMMZ), Wes Daniel (USGS), Emily Dean (CNSS), Nate DeGray (FWC), Tony DiMeglio (UMMZ), Cedric Doolittle (USFWS), Jake Edwards (USACE), Kristie Rae Ellis (FWC), David Eng (FWC), James Entrekin (FWC), Katie Everett (UF), Skippy Fair (USACE), Madison Fishman (FWC), Jonathan Freedman (CNSS), Andrew Furness (UF), John Galvez (USFWS), Kelly Gestring (FWC), Matt Holding (UMMZ), David Hu (USGS), Angie Huebner (USACE), Howard Jelks (USGS – volunteer), Eric Johnson (FWC), Audrey Jordon (CNSS), Matthew Kolmann (UMMZ), Aleah Koskinen (FWC), Ian Markovich (USACE),Sam McPherson (FWC), Cayla Morningstar (USGS), Matt Neilson (USGS), Dan Nelson (FWC), Eddie Perri (USFWS), Ian Pfingsten (USGS), Eric Post (FWC-FWRI), Ethan Reynolds (UMMZ), Jamie Richardson (FWC), Ned Rose, Cheryl Samek (USFWS), Randy Singer (UMMZ), Gabe Somarriba (FM), Courtney Stachowiak (FWC), Steven Stang (FWC), Matt Swerdfeger (FWC), Nick Trippel (FWC), Quenton Tuckett (UF), Hayden Wennerdahl (FWC), and Anna Zhao (UMMZ)
Institutional acronyms: CNSS – Cherokee Nation System Solutions; FIU – Florida International University; FM – Florida Museum; FWC – Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission; FWC-FWRI Fish and Wildlife Research Institute; UF – University of Florida; UMMZ – University of Michigan Museum of Zoology; USACE – U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; USFWS – U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; USGS – U.S. Geological Survey
We are grateful to our professional colleagues who volunteered their time and efforts to make Fish Slam successful. Special thanks to Eric Johnson (FWC) for assistance with permits and Skippy Fair (USACE) with securing a check-in location at Franklin Locks Park.
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
Florida Non-Native Fish Action Alliance
Fish Slam - Fall 2016
Fish Slam - Spring 2016
Fifty-four biologists from nine organizations, including USGS, participated in a two-day Fish Slam event on December 13 - 14, 2023 in Southwest Florida.
Fifty-four biologists from nine organizations participated in a two-day Fish Slam event on December 13-14, 2023. Thirty-one freshwater sites in southwest Florida in Sarasota, Charlotte, Glades, Lee, Hendry, and Collier counties were sampled for nonnative fishes. Sampling gear included electrofishing boats, backpack electrofishers, minnow traps, seines, dipnets, and hook and line. Sixteen species of nonnative fishes were collected or observed. This is the sixteenth Fish Slam event since the program began in 2013.
No new species were detected at this Fish Slam, but we did observe some possible range expansions from the last time we sampled this area in Spring 2022. Jaguar guapote, Parachromis managuensis, and oscar, Astronotus ocellatus, are common on the eastern coast of south Florida, but much less so on the west coast. We collected specimens of each species at two of the sites sampled. Asian swamp eels, Monopterus javanensis, were collected at five sites, farther south than previous collections. A common carp, Cyprinus carpio, was also collected. This species is common throughout the U.S., but rare in peninsular Florida. Clown knifefish, Chitala ornata, were collected at the previous Fish Slam in this area, however after resampling those sites, no knifefish were detected.
Fish Slam events link research institutions such as museums and universities with federal, state, and local government agencies that possess expertise and field equipment to collect nonnative fishes, providing the institution unique access to specimens. Representatives from the University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, and the Florida Museum participated in this Fish Slam. Nonnative 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.
Nonnative fishes collected or observed during Fish Slam December 2023
| Scientific Name | Common Name |
| Ctenopharyngodon idella | grass carp |
| Cyprinus carpio | common carp |
| Hoplosternum littorale | brown hoplo |
| Pterygoplichthys spp. | sailfin catfishes |
| Clarias batrachus | walking catfish |
| Belonesox belizanus | pike killifish |
| Dorosoma petenense | threadfin shad |
| Monopterus javanensis | Asian swamp eel |
| Astronotus ocellatus | oscar |
| Cichla ocellaris | butterfly peacock bass |
| Rubricatochromis (Hemichromis) letourneuxi | African jewelfish |
| Mayaheros urophthalmus | Mayan cichlid |
| Oreochromis sp. | tilapia |
| Parachromis managuensis | jaguar guapote |
| Pelmatolapia mariae | spotted tilapia |
| Sarotherodon melanotheron | blackchin tilapia |
Native species, along with stocked, triploid (sterile) grass carp, Ctenopharyngodon idella, that were caught during Fish Slam were returned to the wild alive per the requirements of the scientific collectors’ permit issued for the event. All field observations of nonnative species were entered into the USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species database.
Participants of the December 2023 Fish Slam
Art Bernhardt (FWC), Jesse Blanchard (FIU), Ken Blick (USFWS), Mary Brown (USGS), Jorge Buening (USFWS), Kelly Chase (UF), Haley Crowell (UMMZ), Jacob Cunningham (FWC), John David Curlis (UMMZ), Wes Daniel (USGS), Emily Dean (CNSS), Nate DeGray (FWC), Tony DiMeglio (UMMZ), Cedric Doolittle (USFWS), Jake Edwards (USACE), Kristie Rae Ellis (FWC), David Eng (FWC), James Entrekin (FWC), Katie Everett (UF), Skippy Fair (USACE), Madison Fishman (FWC), Jonathan Freedman (CNSS), Andrew Furness (UF), John Galvez (USFWS), Kelly Gestring (FWC), Matt Holding (UMMZ), David Hu (USGS), Angie Huebner (USACE), Howard Jelks (USGS – volunteer), Eric Johnson (FWC), Audrey Jordon (CNSS), Matthew Kolmann (UMMZ), Aleah Koskinen (FWC), Ian Markovich (USACE),Sam McPherson (FWC), Cayla Morningstar (USGS), Matt Neilson (USGS), Dan Nelson (FWC), Eddie Perri (USFWS), Ian Pfingsten (USGS), Eric Post (FWC-FWRI), Ethan Reynolds (UMMZ), Jamie Richardson (FWC), Ned Rose, Cheryl Samek (USFWS), Randy Singer (UMMZ), Gabe Somarriba (FM), Courtney Stachowiak (FWC), Steven Stang (FWC), Matt Swerdfeger (FWC), Nick Trippel (FWC), Quenton Tuckett (UF), Hayden Wennerdahl (FWC), and Anna Zhao (UMMZ)
Institutional acronyms: CNSS – Cherokee Nation System Solutions; FIU – Florida International University; FM – Florida Museum; FWC – Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission; FWC-FWRI Fish and Wildlife Research Institute; UF – University of Florida; UMMZ – University of Michigan Museum of Zoology; USACE – U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; USFWS – U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; USGS – U.S. Geological Survey
We are grateful to our professional colleagues who volunteered their time and efforts to make Fish Slam successful. Special thanks to Eric Johnson (FWC) for assistance with permits and Skippy Fair (USACE) with securing a check-in location at Franklin Locks Park.