Won't have to go to Sth America shortly.
https://www.4mk.com.au/dave-perkins/...-pioneer-river
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Won't have to go to Sth America shortly.
https://www.4mk.com.au/dave-perkins/...-pioneer-river
Not good, not good at all. Dickheads.
Yeah, saw that, you have to wonder at the mentality of anyone releasing a feral fish like that, just hope these dont get a toehold
If the reports that 8 adult fish were released are true the likelihood of them establishing is quite small.
If you look at successful stocking practices it generally involves huge numbers of fish with a large mortality rate over several years to get a reasonable population going.
This screams of someone with too much cash and no brains vying for their 15 minutes of fame.
Adult peacocks would fetch a few hundred bucks each. Proven viable breeding pairs are worth plenty.
As someone with interest in both hobbies it disgusts me someone could be so stupid. It's scary some of the garbage being posted on fishing sites already. It is what it is. Unfortunately seems like every day you can trust people less than before.
Attachment 36261
Hi Ducksta
It seems that these things are members of the Peacock chiclid family of mouth brooders with low tolerance of colder waters.
I take it that you are interested in aquarium fish?
Would these guys need heaters in waters south of SE Qld?
Here's a GE image of Dumbleton Weir on the Pioneer River west of Mackay. No trouble with water temperatures there.
These are apparently large fish and the story goes that 8 (4 breeding pairs) were released in the fresh water up above Dumbleton Rocks Weir at Mirani.
The photo on the news article seems to be a local/Qld one. The guy's cap has a Capricornia tag on it which is the area immediately south of Mackay. Its reported that the fish was captured downstream of the weir.
Dumbleton Rocks at Mirani is a huge are with weir eco flow of fresh water. These fish apparently anchor their sticky eggs on rocks (plenty there. Zoom in and have a look on GE).
Do you have info on growth rates etc?
These buggers are pretty aggressive apparently and have far greater impact on native fish than the other pest fish up this way (tilapia).
We ended up with tilapia due to releases of aquarium fish up in the coalfields (Clermont, Moranbah, Emerald etc) when the coal mine industry slowed down significantly.
Miners moving away from the area simply released their aquarium fish into waterways.
I guess that's one of the benefits of FIFO workforce. Only workers who don't tend to keep aquariums in shared accommodation.
These guys would need a heater anywhere the water temp drops below about 20 over winter.
Growth rates in a good aquarium system will be up over an inch a month.
The species we have in the hobby here are Cichla monoculus (or likely a hybrid that is very mono heavy from before all the species were properly described.)
I'd class them as highly predatory, but not very aggressive at all - except when defending a nest or fry ball.
To explain, yes they will chase down anything they want to eat - but otherwise they are quite mellow.
They are not difficult to keep with other (appropriate sized) fish at all which is generally a marker for aggression. They don't beat up and kill stuff just to do that.
In fact, my saratoga killed my last 6 peacock bass, because my saratoga is a total arsehole.
These are one of the smaller species of peacock.
Depending who you ask these may or may not be the same species as were released in Florida.
IGFA recognises peacocks from Florida as monoculus, but they started out by breeding fish collected from several countries and many suspect they have their own hybrid strain there too.
Regarding the chances of establishing. In Florida they released over 20,000 "butterfly peacocks" to get them to establish.
They also released 110 larger/adult 3 bar peacocks (ie. the big ones people go to the Amazon for) and have reported no captures of any juvenile fish ever, and none of the adults in decades which suggests that was not enough to start a population (of that species).
Interestingly, their release in Florida is considered a success because the biomass of other introduced (pest) species was reduced while populations of some natives actually increased.
Obviously Mackay isn't Miami, so fingers crossed whatever is in there gets knocked on the head before they get any chance to cause a problem.
If it really was 4 proven breeding pairs then it shouldn't be hard to find out who it was, as there wouldn't be many people who have that kind of setup.
Are there any rumours about when they might have been released? The pic circulating now doesn't really look like a happy fish. Physically it's in good nick - with fins etc all in tact, but the colour is washed out like it's not really loving life.
Thanks for the insight, Ducksta.
The waters in the photo look more turbid than what the videos tend to show in Sth America. Maybe exposure to turbidity causes colour washout.
If you look at the GE shot you'll see that the area is cultivated with small cane holdings. Hundreds of them.
But even so, you're right about the aquarium suppliers having a short list of people with aquarium set-ups of the kind necessary to be keeping these.
So, information and suspicion aplenty but not necessarily proof yet.
Interesting trying to identify what type is in the photo though.
Are these fish declared noxious under Qld's Bio-Security Act?
No, I don't think so. Emperor or Giant Cichlids certainly are but I think they're a different version from Africa.
Maybe at worst legally, the offender/s breach some Fisheries reg or other about releasing non-native fish into the environment.
Yea, there is nothing illegal about keeping, breeding, trading them.
Imports (to Australia) are governed federally. So they are not allowed to be newly imported. But all the fish already here can be maintained.
Noxious lists are managed at the state level - and I'm pretty sure they are not on any state noxious list.
Not sure what you could charge someone with for releasing them. Maybe some general environmental laws? Eco-terrorism?
Like everything, most people who have a hobby are pretty passionate and pretty sensible...
I've put some feelers out to see if anyone knows anything - I haven't been super involved with that hobby for a while. But I still know most of the right people down this way anyway.
I just keep 1 display tank in my lounge room now. 10 years or so ago I had a fishroom and spent weekends shipping live fish to wholesalers and hobbiests all over.
Can't find them on any declared noxious, invasive or pest fish list under Qld Bio Diversity Act. Couldn't find it on NSW list either as you said.
Any offence would simply be introduction of non-native species to waterways. Pretty innocuous sounding offence but I think the penalty would reflect the seriousness which the Qld Dept of Agriculture claimed that existed as a result.
By all means check if you have contacts in the area. Maybe pm if so.
The things are freshwater only? Salt plays no part in breeding cycle? I think that the Pioneer below Dumbleton Weir is salt so maybe that's why the one on the photo didn't look good.
Will check that though.
That was Marian Weir that I marked. Dumbleton is about 16km up stream from Pioneer mouth so is definitely salt below the weir.
Yea, they are a pure fresh species. They can tolerate some salinity (salts are used as a basic medication for a lot of freshwater fish) but wouldn't expect they'd last long in 'saltwater'.
https://www.sunshinecoastdaily.com.a...r-riv/3311991/
just spotted unsure if mentioning same one since i got locked out of free articals
I know the pioneer very well. The Dumbleton weir is the lowest in the river down stream goes fresh to bracish within a few hundred metres of the weir the big tides push all the way to the weir. Above is a large body of water as douglas eludes to for about 6 km or so. Then shallows up to rock pools up to the base of the Marian weir behind the mill and another large body of water up to a smaller weir near the bridge at Mirani
The water in the river comes from right up the valley gets pretty cold in winter. Has high flow in the wet seasons. I’m no expert on the peacock bass while a spectator fish probably don’t need them in the pioneer river.
Same subject, saph. Just a later article.
I think the weir at Dumbleton Rocks is one of the supplies for Mackay water supply isn't it, Gypsy/
Apparently there have been other unconfirmed catches of Peacock Bass so I think the situation is a little more than just 4 breeding pairs.
This story has a way to go yet.
Maybe cyclone Debbie did a bit more than people first thought. Over-filled domestic dams letting these things escape from farm dams.
Yeah mate pretty sure. There’s a little pump house above the weir. Supplied the pleysowe sugar mill too I spose as with the weir at Marian. I would say irrigation of cane would have been an influence for building weirs along it too. Above the Dumbleton Weir is a massive body of water easy 100 metres across and 40 foot deep. I’ve had my boat on there is loaded with catfish which feed the local Barra in there. At time there is floating island of weed. It has a nice fish ladder for the bass to traverse if their is a population downstream of the weir. If they are upstream they might survive. I’m not sure of the lifecycle of the species. I have seen the weir flowing about 5 metres over and almost level on both sides.
thanks was unsure since it locked me out for the monthQuote:
Originally Posted by Douglas