Nonindigenous Fishes in Freshwater Systems

Established Nonindigenous Fish Species in Florida

Anabantidae

Croaking Gourmi (Trichopsis vittata). Trichopsis vittata is native to Borneo, Cambodia, Java, Laos, Malaya, Sumatra, Thailand, and Vietnam (Smith 1945). It is established in a small area on the southern side of the Lake Worth Drainage District Canal L-36, Delray Beach, Palm Beach County, Florida. It probably escaped from one of the nearby aquarium-fish farms (Courtenay et al. 1986). Collections by National Biological Survey personnel (Southeastern Biological Service Center, National Biological Survey, Gainsville, Fl., personal communication) in recent years confirmed the persistence of the croaking gourmi in the canal where it was originally found. It has also been taken in another canal adjacent to an aquarium-fish farm that is no longer operational. The species is still extant (W. R. Courtenay, Jr., Professor, Florida Atlantic University, personal communication), and it is considered locally established.

In addition to the exotic fishes in Florida waters, nine species in six families of fishes that are native to the United States also were transplanted into Florida. In some cases, the fishes were originally introduced into states north of Florida, such as Alabama and Georgia, and subsequent dispersal resulted in the downstream movement into Florida. None of these introductions has been examined to determine the effect, if any, on the receiving ecosystem.

As described earlier in more detail, one transplanted species, the Rio Grande cichlid (Cichlasoma cyanoguttatum) was brought into Florida by the aquarium-fish industry. The presence of this species in the open waters of Florida started with escaped individuals from aquaculture facilities and the release of aquarium fishes. It is locally established in Hillsborough and Monroe counties.

The remaining 8 transplanted species of five families were introductions for with sport fishing (Southeastern Biological Science Center, National Biological Survey, Gainesville, Fl., unpublished data). One species, the fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas) was brought into Florida as a bait fish for sport fishing. Four sport fishes, the flathead catfish (Pylodictis olivaris) and 3 species in the Family Percidae, the yellow perch (Perca flavescens), sauger (Stizostedion canadense), and walleye (S. vitreum) seemingly were introduced into the Chattahoochee River system upstream of the Florida border and dispersed downstream into the Apalachicola River. The orangespotted sunfish (Lepomis humilis) was introduced incidentally into the state with other fishes because this species is too small to be of value as a sport fish.

The remaining two fishes, the white crappie (Pomoxis annularis) and the white bass (Morone chrysops) were intentional introductions. These fishes were introduced for sport fishing by the Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission (Southeastern Biological Service Center, National Biological Survey, Gainsville, Fl., personal communication). The white crappie is established in several rivers in western Florida. White bass are established in the Apalachicola River.