Social media: an emerging, fast, cheap, and effective tool for detection of non-native fish species

Aim People share on social media images (photos and videos) about their daily lives, mainly related to leisure. Ecological studies using data from social media have been growing, demonstrating that validating this information lends confidence to the studies and highlights the effectiveness of this approach. Many non-native species can be easily identified through images, and these records can be used to investigate non-native species (e.g., fish). Therefore, we report the occurrence of two non-native fish species (Cichliformes, Cichlidae) in Brazil. Methods The records were made by anglers and shared on social media (Instagram®). Results Based on the records, it was possible to update the area of occurrence of Zebra tilapia Heterotilapia buttikoferi and Jaguar guapote Parachromis managuensis. Conclusions Analyzing data available on social media is already recognized as an effective and low-cost tool for ecological studies. Thus, there is a huge urgency in creating participatory research programs with social media users, due to the efficiency in identifying the occurrence and distribution of non-native species, which can assist management strategies for introduced species in Brazil.