You keep saying that natives are flourishing in the everglades (thats where Im talking about) yet every article put out by a state biologist, university etc. that has done electroshocking or net sampling seems to say the opposite; that cichlids are taking the nesting areas of cetrarchids in many places in the everglades and replacing them......where are you getting your info. that this isnt true? I do agree with you on the Asian swamp eel and snakeheads!Louie;3820351;3820351 said:I agree with you but suspect for every cichlid that eats baby bass or sun countless bass and suns eat and grow using cichlids fry.
Keep in mind cichlids dont swim around hunting like LMB they from what I have seen stay in a territory .
You get to know cichlids in canals,etc they take a teritory and dont leave which is why come cold you had such massive cichlid die off.
The cichlids are so territorial that if a canal is cleaned (rare) or heavily polluted like it was by Marlins stadium canal. Once its liveable the same EXACT fish will return.
I agree congo eels,snake heads which are active hunters are a threat but from what I have seen and no expert it has been LMB ,pickerel,bowfins which hunt the fairly "stationary" cichlids.
Mazambique talipia from what I have seen are not "stationary" though have only seen them in one small area.
Mayans-Oscars-Jags-acara-red devils other talipia you know exactly where you will find them once you fish for them. They eat mosquito fish,jewel cichlids algae and each others fry.
I agree with Warmouth some eat natives but find if anything natives have thrived due to them other than congo eels and snakeheads which are probably the rarest exotics.
If you look at fishing forum none of us have caught them. We are spread all over S.Florida but not 1 has caught one.
The cichlid population has taken a BIG kill and a yr probably 2 will show if natives devoured them and flourished as I suspect or those who disagree with me are correct.