Philippine fishermen battling with odd alien fish

MANILA, Philippines - Like some bad science-fiction movie, Philippine fishermen are encountering strange alien creatures: tough, speckled fish with sharp spines that tear and rip their nets.

The suckermouth catfish from South America is just one of a growing number of foreign species that are spreading in local waterways and forests, threatening to edge out the country's indigenous plants and animals.

Locally known as "janitor fish", the catfish were originally introduced for aquariums but careless handling and weak controls allowed them to escape into the wild - just like scores of other animals and plants.