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. This additional information will help inform decisions on where, when, and how the species may be used to minimize risks of them becoming invasive.
The blue-eyed cichlid (Cryptoheros spilurus) is a South American fish, native to Belize, Guatemala, Honduras Mexico, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama. It is used in the aquarium trade. The history of invasiveness is none documented. C. spilurus has been introduced to Hawaii accidentally from an aquarium, which resulted in an established population in the early 1980s, but the current status of the species is unknown with some authors considering the species extirpated. There have been no studies of potential impacts. The climate match for the contiguous United States was medium. However, only southern Florida and the Gulf coast of Texas had a medium-high match; all other areas had a low climate match. The certainty of assessment is low due to lack of information on impacts of introduction. The overall risk assessment category for Cryptoheros spilurus is uncertain.
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Uncertain Risk
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