SIZEHeight: 8-19 ft
Weight: 600-2,200 Pounds DIETHatchlings eat small fish and invertebrates. Adult alligators prey on larger animals such as birds and deer.
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LIFESPANWild Lifespan: 30-50 years
Captive Lifespan: 60-80 Years HABITAT & RANGEFreshwater swamps, rivers, and lakes in south eastern United States.
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SIZE12-15 Inches in length
About 2.5 Pounds (Larger in invasive habitats) DIETLionfish are carnivorous, feeding mainly on crustaceans and fish
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LIFESPANWild Lifespan: Unknown
Captivity Lifespan: Approx. 10 years HABITAT & RANGE Native to the Indo-Pacific
Invasive off the East Coast of the United States & the Caribbean |
As a result of human error in the late 1980s, a handful of lionfish slipped undetected into Atlantic waters off the coast of Florida.
In less than 40 years the lionfish has completely taken over the Atlantic, from Brazil to Boston to Barcelona, destroying native fish populations and coral reefs. |
SIZE16 – 31+ Inches in length
4.4 – 110 lbs Pounds DIET Grass carp consume plants, and can drastically change river and shoreline vegetation and spawning and cover for native fish. Black carp eat snails and mussels, including native species that are already endangered and may endanger reintroduced populations.
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LIFESPANWild Lifespan: 20 Years
HABITAT & RANGENative to Eastern Asia
Invasive to the Mississippi River and rivers and lakes within the Mississippi rivershed |
This invasive carp significantly lowers water quality, which kills off sensitive organisms like native freshwater mussels. They have been known to dominate entire streams effectively pushing out the native species that can't keep up. Asian carp (especially silver carp) are capable of jumping over some barriers, including low dams. High water often creates an "open river" condition as Mississippi River dams open their gates, which may allow invasive carps to move past what is otherwise a barrier. |