Ecological Risk Screening Summary - Clown Knifefish (Chitala ornata) - High Risk

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 piscivorous and invertivorous Chitala ornata is native to Southeast Asia. The species has become established in the United States in the state of Florida, probably through aquarium release. The impacts of its establishment in Florida are largely unknown, but introductions in Sri Lanka and the Philippines have negatively affected native fish populations and aquaculture production. Due to the history of invasiveness and medium climate match overall, risk posed to the contiguous U.S. is high. However, the climate matching analysis suggests that much of the contiguous U.S. is a low climate match, making the risk to those low-match locations less definite.

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High Risk
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Invasive species