Peacock bass are now considered an exciting sportfish in south Florida. (Scott Bernarde photo)
June 16, 2025
By Erika Zambello
“What is that?” My son pointed to the dark shape just underneath the dock, its profile different than any other fish we’d seen in the north Florida pond behind our house. Casting a piece of bread attached to a hook on the end of the kid-sized fishing rod, my husband and I looked over the railing, willing it to bite. With a splash and a tug, the silhouette went after the food, and soon we hauled its slippery form up to the dock. In the pond we’ve seen carp and catfish, bluegill and bass, perch and gar, but we have never, ever, seen a fish with so many teeth.
A few Google searches later and we realized why: We had just caught a pacu, a fish species native to South America. What was it doing in Leon County?
Florida Has an Invasive Species Problem Florida is a haven for non-native and invasive species, from the destructive Burmese python in the Everglades to the scourge of kudzu vines along our roadways. According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), an invasive species is one that hails from another region or country, brought to the Sunshine State on purpose or by accident. Importantly, not all non-native species are considered “invasive;” to “earn” that designation, they must “negatively impact native fish and wildlife, cause damage that is costly to repair, or pose a threat to human health and safety.”
Pacu have been in Florida since the 1960s, but most people wouldn’t consider them invasive… yet. Though they have voracious appetites, they are not commonly found, and there are no reported self-replicating populations. Still, it’s odd to find one so far north. Perhaps a neighbor dumped the fast-growing pacu into the pond after the fish outgrew their aquarium, not knowing that such introductions have been the beginning of damaging invasive populations in the past.
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For our part, we reported the pacu to the FWC and brought it to a nearby office, hopefully ending the possibility of a pacu invasion in our small but diverse water body. But that made us wonder: What non-native fish might anglers encounter in their backyard or neighborhood ponds? And what should we do about them?
Have You Seen Me? Florida’s Common, Non-Native Fish Pacu | Non-Native Pacu Related to piranhas, pacu are good eating. They have been seen in Florida since the 1960s, usually when anglers catch dumped-out aquarium fish in canals, ponds, or even Lake Okeechobee.
Mayan Cichlid | Non-Native Mayan Cichlid These fish can live almost anywhere, from marshes to lakes to canals. Originally from Central and South America, they were discovered in Florida in 1983. Mayan cichlid are good to eat and readily come to natural and artificial bait. See feature article for the complete story of our “atomic sunfish.”
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Oscar | Non-Native Oscar Native to South America, Oscars now live in canals throughout South Florida. Growing to about two pounds, they will come to both bait and artificial lures. They’re especially popular among fly anglers. They have lived in Florida waters since at least 1950, when aquarium fish farms stocked them in Dade County.
Butterfly Peacock | Non-Native Butterfly Peacock The FWC introduced these on purpose in 1984 to eat other invasive fish species in the canals of Southeast Florida. Butterfly peacock bass are now considered a fine sportfish. They’re exciting to catch, darlings of social media, and that keeps business brisk for bait shops and fishing guides in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties. There are peacocks in Collier County, too. The FWC implements bag and size limits to keep the population robust. Peacocks do not tolerate cold water and are limited to South Florida waters.
Blue Tilapia | Invasive Blue Tilapia With the ability to live in some levels of saltwater, blue tilapia are now found not only in canals, rivers, lakes and ponds, but also estuaries like Tampa Bay. Native to the Middle East and Africa, they will come to live bait or even hot dogs and bread, but not artificial lures. They are delicious—worth the effort to harvest with bowfishing gear or castnets, where legal. A related species, Mozambique tilapia, also is present in Florida.
Lionfish | Invasive Lionfish Okay, okay, no one is going to find a lionfish (a saltwater species) in their backyard unless they happen to live on a beach. But it’s hard to talk about invasive species in Florida without mentioning this reef hazard. First reported in 1985, they have since become a problem for reef fish communities, outcompeting native fish and eating everything in sight. Ice them and trim the venomous spines; they’re great to eat.
What Can We Do? Fun fact: Other than grass carp and butterfly peacock, there is no limit on the number of invasive fish anglers can harvest, and many are delicious (including the pacu). Catch as many as you want! Remember, however, that if you catch one you have to release it or harvest the fish—relocating them to another pond or lake is not allowed.
The FWC tracks non-native species, explains Kelly Gestring, with the FWC Nonnative Fish and Wildlife Program: “If a Floridian sees or catches something nonnative, report it! Take a picture, note the location, and report your sighting at IveGot1.org , or download the IveGot1 reporting app.”
The best thing we can do as anglers and Floridians, however, is to prevent the introduction of invasive species in the first place. Don’t dump aquarium fish into ponds; take advantage of the FWC’s Exotic Pet Amnesty Program. Learn more at myfwc.com/petamnesty .
This article was featured in the May 2025 issue of Florida Sportsman magazine. Click to subscribe
