ABSTRACT
Relative to the great diversity of freshwater fishes in the southeastern U.S., the Everglades has few native species. Nevertheless, they are a mainstay of Everglades food chains because of their abundance. They provide the diet for alligators, otters, wading birds, and other predators. The historic Everglades succeeded as a wildlife exhibition because of its annual rainfall cycles. Wet-season flooding promoted the growth of a substantial freshwater fish biomass (the total weight of living matter in a given volume or area of environment; for example, pounds of fish per acre). Then, in a following dry season with receding waters, the biomass was concentrated into shrinking aquatic habitats where it was easily available to predators. The more common or noteworthy fish species that occur in fresh waters of the Everglades are listed in Table 15.1.
