Species that are considered uncertain risk need a more in-depth assessment beyond the Risk Summary to better define the species’ risk to U.S. environments.
The Bigeye Lates (Lates mariae) is a fish native to Lake Tanganyika and some nearby rivers in Southeastern Africa. This species is both a popular gamefish and a commercial fishery in its native range. The popularity of Lates mariae has caused the population to decline. The history of invasiveness is uncertain. This species was purposely introduced into Texas in the 1980s as a potential gamefish but seemingly failed to establish. Other than in Texas, they have not been introduced anywhere outside of their native range. This species does not seem to be in trade. The overall climate match for the contiguous United States was low. All States received low individual climate scores. The certainty of assessment is low. The overall risk assessment category for Lates mariae is uncertain.
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Uncertain Risk
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