Species that are considered high risk have a well-documented history of invasiveness in at least one location globally, and a high or medium climate match to the contiguous United States.
The history of invasiveness is high. There are established populations outside the native range of Cichla ocellaris. Many of those are the result of intentional introductions. There are some records of negative, neutral, and positive ecological impacts, mostly from an introduction in Panama, along with some reports of positive economic impacts. C. ocellaris has been used as a successful biocontrol for Tilapia mariae in Florida. The climate match is medium. The results of the climate match could change if more detailed information was available about the world-wide distribution of C. ocellaris, particularly the introduced populations in Africa and Asia. The certainty of assessment is medium. The overall risk assessment category is high.
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High Risk
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