Field Guide to the Nonindigenous Marine Fishes of Florida

This field guide provides species accounts for non-native fishes sighted in estuarine and marine waters of Florida, serving as a "watch list" of invaders that could potentially become established. Most of these are thought to be aquarium fishes that either were illegally released into the ocean or escaped captivity.

To help prevent the establishment of non-native fishes in Florida's marine waters, NOAA's National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS), the Reef Environmental and Education Foundation (REEF), and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) have formed a partnership to focus on early detection and rapid response of non-native marine fishes.

If you spot any of these species, please report it to USGS-NAS database. Please provide photographs and the location where the species was sighted or collected as accurately as possible (including GPS coordinates, if possible).

Species accounts consist of photographs of the species, identification criteria, a summary of similar species that occur in Florida, native geographic range, non-native occurrences in the U.S.A., a synthesis of the ecology of the species, and a map of occurrences in Florida. References to source material are provided to those interested in learning more about the species.

• Full Document (34,236 KB)
• Cover and Title (164 KB)
• Table of Contents (30 KB)
• Introduction, Methods, Reporting, Laws, Acknowledgements (101 KB)
• References (62 KB)
• Back Cover (28 KB)

Suggested Citation: Schofield, P. J., J. A. Morris, Jr. and L. Akins. 2009. Field Guide to Nonindigenous Marine Fishes of Florida. NOAA Technical Memorandum NOS NCCOS 92.

1Pamela J. Schofield, Ph.D. U.S. Geological Survey 7920 NW 71st Street Gainesville, FL 32653 pschofield@usgs.gov
2James A. Morris, Jr., Ph.D. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration National Ocean Service National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science Center for Coastal Fisheries and Habitat Research 101 Pivers Island Road Beaufort, NC 28516 james.morris@noaa.gov
3Lad Akins Reef Environmental Education Foundation (REEF) 98300 Overseas Highway Key Largo, FL 33037 lad@reef.org