Invasive fish of South Carolina

The rock bass is a small freshwater fish. It looks like a small mouth bass but is far smaller only reaching 2 pounds in size. They are commonly found in alcoves of rocks. They were likely introduced by fisherman for new game.

The alligator gar is another freshwater fish. it is similar to the native gar but is far larger and known for its extremely large jaws and insatiable appetite.

The grass carp is commonly found in freshwater ponds. Native to Asia they are usually put in ponds to control the algae. These fish can get upwards of 40 pounds.

The banded darter is a small fish growing no more than 3 inches. They prefer to live in small streams and pools and are common prey for many fish.

The lion fish is a saltwater species from southern Asia. They are highly venomous Which has led to an increasing population here. They were probably released as pets whose owners no longer wanted them.

Redbelly tilapia are a species of chiclid  native to Africa. they are commonly put in canals to control the weed population. They only get about 1.5 feet in size at the maximum.

The Redbelly Pacu is a fish native to South America. It is another species of fish introduced by pet owners. Although they are related piranhas, they are herbivores that only eat plants.

The snake head is a species of very agressive trout that was introduced in an attempt to control the populations of other fish. It has very few predators here and can reach sizes of 30 or more pounds.

The striped jumprock is a small 5 inch fish native to the Ohio river valley. Through the years they have migrated down streams and rivers into south Carolina where they tend to live in small pools and streams.

 The Alewife is a species of shad native to the great lakes region. They are small fish that reach an average size of 25 centimeters. It is likely they found their way here the same way as the jumprock.

The oscar is a common aquarium cichlid likely introduced by pet owners. Wild Oscars have been caught by fisherman in the small streams of the upcountry in South Carolina.

The Tambaqui is a species of pacu that was released by pet owners and has established itself in the broad river near lake Murray. This fish can get very large reaching sizes up to 150 pounds.

The big mouth Buffalo was introduced from the Missisipi river into the Pee Dee river on 1918 as a source of game fishing.  It has not spread beyond the Pee Dee river yet but it does compete with small native fish for minnows and other food sources.

For more information please visit      http://www.dnr.sc.gov/marine/sertc/invasive-fish.htm