Are there African Cichlids in the wild in the U.S.A.

[scott g]

Well are ther any. All I ever see are pictures of South and Central American Cichlids that are caught in the wild but man oh man there must be African Cichlids on the loose in the Southern States somewhere.

 

[Oddball]

I haven't looked up all african invasives. But, in Florida, all tilapia species are from Africa as well as the jewel cichlids. And these can be caught throughout the state.

 

[rasdbo]

yeah mainly talapia variants are found in the southern waters

 

[scott g]

I guess what I meant was the more exotic types like Malawi haps. I mean how cool would it be if you could go fishing and catch 14" long Compressiceps.

 

[Oddball]

Check the USGS website for anything more specific. Here's a short list:

Labeotropheus fuelleborni - south Miami, Dade County, Florida

Lates angustifrons - Tanganyikan Lates - Intentional stocking in Texas

Lates mariae - bigeye Lates - Intentional stocking in Texas

Lates niloticus - Nile perch - Intentional stocking in Texas

Melanochromis auratus - golden mbuna - Rogers Spring near Lake Mead, Clark County, Nevada

Melanochromis johannii - bluegray mbuna - Oahu, Hawaii

Pelvicachromis pulcher - kribensis - Oahu, Hawaii

Pseudotropheus sp. - San Marcos River below the Spring Lake dam in Hays County, Texas

Pseudotropheus zebra - zebra mbuna - Rogers Spring, a tributary of Lake Mead near Overton, Clark County, Nevada

Telmatochromis bifrenatus - Lake Tanganyika dwarf cichlid - River Styx in Alachua County, Florida

 

[scott g]

Nile Pearch!!!! they get like what 6 feet and 500 pounds. Too big for America, I mean they ate everything in lake Victoria so what are they doing here?

 

[inline4]

yep i live in vegas and whenever i go to rogers springs i manage to catch a few convict cichlids, texas cichlids, silver dollars, but never the african cichlids. they are too fast.

roger springs is fed by an underground warm spring so the water there stays constant throughout the year.

 

[scott g]

Could you catch them by using a rod and reel? Imagine that African's out in the Nevada desert, cool!

 

[rickson]

very coll. we have only the tilapia species

 

[inline4]

they're too small to catch with rod and reel. i use a minnow net or cast net. i'm not sure if it's legal but there are no "no fishing" signs posted.