The first goal, while well-meaning, did not quite work. Their aggressive behavior, obvious love for the environment, and willingness to eat just about anything you throw at them (more on that later) made them an ideal target species for recreational anglers like the people who read this site. However, the more important reason, at least to anglers, is they were put there for you and me to catch. Why were they released? Initially, it was to eat their smaller, illegally dumped cousins, along with whatever else passed by their ravenous jaws. These included the Butterfly Peacock Bass and the Speckled Peacock Bass, the male of which can be identified by a lump or extrusion on the top of their heads. The biggest of the species – the genus Cichcla – was imported by Florida Fish and Wildlife (). ![]() ![]() Along with Oscars and a host of other imported pets dropped into the water behind the house, they eventually became a problem. ![]() Often these pet-store fish have been illegally dropped into the canals of Southeastern Florida by people moving away, who no longer want them or flushed down the toilet and into the ecosystem. Cichlids are known as the freshwater aquarium fish you buy in pet stores. Introduced to the southern Florida canal system in the 1980s by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission, Peacock Bass are a member of the Cichlidae family.
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