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Re: Florida Cichlids

Josh,

Finally here's my Florida cichlid sites.  Maybe you don't need them any
more, what with the exotics program kicking into gear.

In Hialeah, FL, which is adjacent, and to the northwest of, Miami proper,
on Okeechobee Rd (Rt 27) in the Miami River Canal, somewhere between East
4th Ave, Hialeah and West 12th Ave, Hialeah.  Probably more to the
southeast end of that area.  Can't recall exactly, without looking at the
place.  Keep in mind that the street and avenue numbering changes in
Hialeah from that of Miami.  That's why you suddenly go from NW 37th Ave to
E 10 Ave as you travel west from Miami.  It can be confusing!  There are
little pull-offs along the canal on Okeechobee Rd.  Kind of a long, narrow
park.

At this site we found C managuense, C bimaculatum, Enneacanthus gloriosus,
belonesox belizanus and gambusia

On Tamiami Trail (Rt 41) between Royal Palm Hammock and Monroe Station.  I
pulled off at a spot near a large hotel-type building, where the swamp was
visible near the road.  It actually was a small lagoon with some depth to
it.  Also fished in the Tamiami Canal closer to Royal Palm Hammock.

At this site we found what were probably blue tilapia (Oreochromis aureus),
C urophthalmus, Lepomis punctatus, heterandria formosa Gambusia and Lucania
goodei, I think.  Also there were large gators there - keep your eyes open!

Tilapia mariae are also very common in the canals around Miami.  The
juveniles are very obvious with many dark, vertical bars on them.  I have
taken these with hook and line and sometimes by net.

The most productive technique for catching the fish is to make random dip
net sweeps along the bank, pulling in against the bank and them up out of
the water.  This is often productive if you sweep the net through submerged
water weed.  You can pull up net fulls of weeds and muck and sort through
and find all kinds of fishes.  Weaker dip net types won't stand up to this
kind of punishment very long, though.

I saw some urophthalmus at the pet shop the other day.  Let me know if you
want me to pick some up for you.  They also have Rainbow Dace, aka red
shiners (Cyprinella lutrensis)!


Mark Binkley
Columbus Ohio USA          <))><
mbinkley at earthling_net

Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach him
to use "the Net" and he won't bother you for weeks.