joining the likes of the python, black spiny tail igwarna, kane don and the lizard, invasionives with no business in florida. >> there's a wide number of animals, that people bring in as pets and that they release into the wild and introduce. >> gary is the director of the florida's natural area inventory. a nonprofit that collects information on the state's native wildlife and nonnative invaders that are thriving. >> the big problem is the climate. animals and plants from tropical regions can find a home. lion fish are doing more than surviving. they are multiplying at a furious rate, gobbling up marine life around them. >> they can pretty much eat everything that fits into their mouth. to half their body length. they are consuming a wide variety of economic species such as juvenile snappers in their diet. they are consuming other matters. >> reporter: here is a manmade reef with a variety of fish. here is one where the lyon fish has taken over. the fight is not just to preserve the colonies. lions compete with recreational fishing in florida. that is worth more than $7 billion a her