Potential Impacts: Presently peacock bass are established only in highly modified drainage canals and
lakes of southern Florida, in which they feed primarily on non-native fish (Shafland, 1996). They are limited in their potential range
expansion northward, by theirs inability to tolerate water temperatures below 15°C. However, peacock bass have been described as
voracious piscivores capable of greatly modifying ecosystems where introduced. Shafland (1993) reported a 25% decline of forage
fish from canals in which peacock bass have been introduced. Shafland attributed this mainly to the decline of spotted tilapia, Tilapia
mariae. He estimated a reduction in spotted tilapia, of approximately 51 kg/ha (40%) from 1985-88 and 654 fish/ha (58%) from 1989-
1992