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Butterfly Peacock Bass
Butterfly Peacock Bass |
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American Shad
Butterfly Peacock Bass
(Cichla
ocellaris) Common Names - Butterfly peacock, peacock bass.
Description - Body shape similar to that of a
largemouth bass; color highly variable, but generally golden with three black
vertical bars that tend to fade and are possibly absent in older fish; black
spot with a yellow-gold halo on the caudal fin.
Range - Introduced by FWC in large
coastal canals of southeast Florida in 1984; low water temperatures and
intolerance of saltwater prevent this species from becoming abundant outside of
coastal Miami-Dade and Broward counties. Native range lies within the Amazon
River basin of South America.
Habitat -
Successful in warm, slow flowing canals, ponds, lakes, deep rock pits, and
lateral canals; frequently found in shady areas around bridges, culverts, canal
intersections, bends, dead ends, and near fallen trees; spawns and often feeds
in shallow water adjacent shorelines with overhanging vegetation; cannot
tolerate water temperatures below 60oF or salinities greater than 18
ppt.
Spawning Habits Typically spawn from April through
September with a peak in May and June; both adults prepare a flat, hard surface
near shore, then lay between 4,000 and 10,000 eggs; young are guarded by both
parents, sometimes for several months; males commonly develop a nucchal hump
on foreheads when reproductively active.
Feeding Habits Feed almost exclusively on fish;
tend to use great speed to capture prey; typically feeds only during daylight
hours; this fish has helped reduce the number of undesirable exotic fishes,
especially the spotted tilapia.
Age And Growth - Grow rapidly to 12-14 inches during
the first 16-18 months, after which they become much heavier with each inch they
add in length. A 17-inch fish will weigh approximately three pounds while a
19-inch fish will weigh up to five pounds. The largest butterfly peacock caught
in Florida weighed 12.0 pounds and measured 25.5 inches, but this fish was not
submitted for a state record. It is not known how long they live, but
preliminary data suggests about six years.
Sporting Quality - Most popular sportfish in
southeast Florida coastal canals where it generates millions of hours of fishing
pleasure for thousands of anglers who spend more than $8 million a year to catch
them; available to both boat and bank anglers using the same basic tackle as
largemouth bass anglers; small shiners are the preferred live bait; rarely take
plastic worms like largemouth bass do, but top-water lures, minnow imitating
crank and jerk baits, and marabou jigs are popular artificial baits; streamers,
epoxy minnows and pencil poppers are favorites of fly fishers; daily bag limit
of two fish, only one of which can be greater than 17 inches.
Edibility Good but the real value of this fish is
in its use for controlling over-abundant exotic forage fishes and its sporting
qualities; therefore FWC encourages anglers to catch and release these fish,
especially those longer than 14 inches.
World Record - 12.6 pounds (caught in
Venezuela); 13 of the 16 current IGFA world
records caught from Florida waters.
State Record - 9.08
pounds, but fish up to 12 pounds have been caught; current IGFA all-tackle world
record.
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