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.
Rio Pearlfish (Nematolebias whitei) is a fish endemic to Brazil. This fish has an annual lifecycle where all adults die during the dry season and the eggs undergo diapause; the eggs will hatch when the wet season starts. The species is present in the aquarium trade internationally. Nematolebias whitei was intentionally stocked in an approved study in the United States to test its ability in controlling mosquitos. It was stocked into test water bodies and there was no evidence of escape into the wild or establishment of a population. There were no other records of introduction. Therefore, history of invasiveness is uncertain. The climate match for the contiguous United States is medium. All States had a low individual climate score except Florida, which had a high climate score. The certainty of assessment is low due to lack of information. The overall risk assessment category for Nematolebias whitei is uncertain.
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Uncertain Risk
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