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 for Oreochromis mossambicus is high. O. mossambicus has a truly circumglobal distribution currently owing to its high value to humans for commercial and recreational fishing, aquaculture, the aquarium trade, mosquito and macrophyte control, and biological research. Where O. mossambicus has been introduced outside its native range in southeastern Africa, numerous impacts have been documented on native fish and macrophytes including potential extirpation of native species. In addition to impacts of herbivory, competition, and predation, O. mossambicus is susceptible to numerous parasitic, bacterial, and viral diseases that could be transmitted to native fish populations. Climate match to the contiguous U.S. is high. There are already established populations in some states. The species has established in thermal springs, even in colder climates, such as Idaho and Japan. The certainty of assessment is high. Overall risk assessment category is high.
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High Risk
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