Florida is home to over 500 non-native species. Some of them are as rampant in the wild as the spiked lionfish, a venomous species, that greedily consumes other fishes and harm reef ecosystems.

An application called the Report Florida Lionfish app has been developed with an aim to help the state to gather data and raise awareness about the dangers of invasive species.

The marauding lionfish is a quick reproducing species having a massive appetite. It preys on native fish including yellowtail snapper, Nassau grouper and banded coral shrimp and other crustaceans.

It was some 25 years ago that the species having zebra-like stripes of red, brown and cream was first seen in Florida's Atlantic coast. The wildlife agency said the population of the banded lionfish population has increased drastically. Lionfish can cause a painful, but not fatal sting to humans.

The application also encourages people to inform about the sightings so that authorities can remove the fish from the state's waterways. The first 250 successful users of the application will get a free Lionfish Control Team T-shirt.

The application also has education information on lionfish and safe handling guidelines. Application users can also take a picture and share a photo of their catch.

Those who do not have smart devices can still help in raising awareness about the species. They can report about lionfish at MyFWC. com/fishing.

Other measures are also being taken to remove other invasive species. State wildlife officials have asked public participation for the same. Such a hunt was organized earlier as well in the Florida Everglades in January 2013. The hunt organized to collect data, raise awareness and remove some of the massive snake at that place.