Southern Florida has the highest number of naturalised freshwater
fish in the world (Brooks and Jordan 2010), with T. mariae
Biology of Tilapia mariae Marine and Freshwater Research 911
being the most common of these (Loftus and Kushlan 1987).
The species has been highly successful in invading waterways
with poor water quality and competing with native fishes
(Annett et al. 1999)