Massive concentration of invasive catfish in swamp prompts feeding frenzy in Naples, Florida

NAPLES, Fla. - A rare concentration of invasive walking catfish formed in the Audubon Society’s Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, providing a feast for alligators, turtles, and vultures in Naples, Florida.

Footage shows the catfish floundering in a dried-up alligator hole, with the gators slithering through the large fish buffet.

The sanctuary wrote on its website that although the annual dry-down of freshwater wetlands typically strands small fish, this was a particularly large amount, providing a bounty for alligators instead of the usual wading birds.

Shawn Clem, director of research for the sanctuary, said in a press release: “I’ve certainly never seen that number of walking catfish in one spot. We currently have no control methods for non-native fish, and seeing a sight like this, where they appear to be the only fish surviving in this dry season depression really demonstrates the challenge of managing these highly adapted invaders in our ecosystem.”