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Discovery of invasive fish means team springs to action

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KEY LARGO, Fla. (AP) - An invasive Pacific Ocean fish pulled off a Broward County artificial reef by a Key Largo dive team has a new life as a featured exhibit at a new Miami science museum.

The Miami Herald reports (http://hrld.us/2hSt0tK) that a rapid response team plucked the fish, known as a onespot rabbitfish, out of the water.

In October, REEF's rapid-response team received a report about that nonnative fish swimming at a nearshore artificial reef about 12 to 15 feet deep off Dania Beach.

While not a fish-eating species like the lionfish, the rabbitfish does have some venomous spines and could affect native species by depriving resident herbivores of aquatic food sources.

The response team increased its efforts in 2007 due to the lionfish threat.
 

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Information from: The Miami Herald, http://www.herald.com

 

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