How an exotic fish ended up in the San Gabriel River

Editor’s Note: The above video shows KXAN News’ top morning headlines from Friday, Aug. 9, 2024.

AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department said a non-native hybrid Peacock Cichlid was recently caught in the San Gabriel River near Leander. But how did it get there?

TPWD said the fish was likely an aquarium-raised fish that was then dumped into the river.

The department said anyone who catches an exotic fish, should not release it. Instead, send photos of the fish and the location where it was found to aquaticinvasives@tpwd.texas.gov.

“Never Dump Your Tank!” TPWD said in a social media post Friday.

According to TPWD, dumping anything from an aquarium could have devastating consequences for natural waterbodies in the state.

“Your aquarium fish, animals and plants are likely not native to Texas. This makes them an invasive species. When they’re dumped into the wild they can introduce disease or become serious predators, killing off local fish colonies, and damaging reefs and vegetation that keep our underwater ecosystem alive and healthy,” TPWD said.

The department provided a few responsible ways to get rid of aquarium life.

• Find it a new family
• Sell or trade it
• Humanely euthanize

The department said fish should never be flushed down the toilet.