Odd ‘armored’ fish seen hanging from mouth of Florida heron. It’s an invasive species

Trail camera videos shared by Florida wildlife officials show herons have been seen wandering with a bizarre-looking ”armored” fish dangling from their beaks, and there’s a reason the creatures don’t seem familiar.

They’re an invasive species, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission reports.

“Check out this interesting footage from an FWC trail camera near Naples ... of a heron with a freshly caught armored sailfin catfish, a ... species native to the Amazon basis,” FWC said in a Facebook post.

“Eight days later, the camera caught a familiar sight as a heron passed by going the opposite direction with another armored sailfin catfish.”

Naples is on Florida’s Gulf Coast, 165 miles south of Tampa.

The videos show nature may be finding a way to deal with the pesky species — which appear more frightening than appetizing.

Sailfin catfish have a “worm-like pattern” on their heads, spoon-shaped teeth and “rows of bony plates covering all but their belly area,” FWC reports. They grow to about 20 inches and can weigh 3 pounds.

The species was discovered in Florida waters in the 1950s and state researchers have long known something is eating them, due to the “lifeless and hallowed-out ‘armored’ bodies sometimes seen on canal and lake banks.”

There are three species of the invasive “suckermouth catfishes” in Florida, and they only differ in color pattern, according to the Florida Museum. It is believed they made their way to Florida after escaping or being released from fish farms and aquarium owners, the state says.

The state’s trail camera videos have been viewed more than 5,000 times and have gotten hundreds of reactions and comments, many of them cheering the birds to eat more catfish. Some have even noted the herons’ are strutting — as if proud of their catch.

“Hopefully a bird finds the eggs and likes the taste, get them to find and eat all the bubble nests,” one man posted.

This story was originally published January 17, 2023 at 7:01 AM with the headline "Odd ‘armored’ fish seen hanging from mouth of Florida heron. It’s an invasive species."