Living on a canal with brackish water brings all kinds of wildlife and sea creatures. We have many species of fish, including this Mayan Cichlid, which is an invasive, nonnative. They were first recorded in Florida Bay in 1983, now established and abundant in south Florida as far north as Lake Okeechobee and the St. Lucie Canal. They are native to the Atlantic slope of Central and South America, but can easily adapt to many types of environments, tolerating a wide range of salinities including canals, rivers, lakes and marshes. Nest building primarily occurs in April, followed by peak spawn in May and June; both parents guard young for up to six weeks; generally spawn once per year. They will eat grass shrimp, small fish, snails, and insects along with some incidental detritus and vegetative matter. The largest measured by the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission scientists was 12.6 inches and weighed 1.5 pounds, but they may reach larger sizes as the IGFA world record is listed at 15 inches and 2.5 pounds; maximum reported age is 7 years. Males and females have different color stripes which makes for great photography.

CAMERA - Canon EOS 60D
F-STOP - f/5
EXPOSURE - 1/125 sec
ISO - 3200
EXPOSURE BIAS - +0.7 step
FOCAL LENGTH - 170 mm
MAX APERTURE - 4.625
SHOOTING MODE - Automatic
HAND HELD - Yes
TRIPOD - No
MONO-POD - No
FLASH - No