About 18 years ago I was into breeding tropical fish and was told by an old German bloke that owned a Melbourne Aquarium shop that used to import Cichlids into Australia and many other types of fish that people released a fair few non natives into Hazelwood pondage because certain people were getting tired of import cost and waiting for the lengthy quarantine time that is involved before being allowed to sell them over to the public as the water temp was perfect for them and was told if I ever really wanted a good sized American Cichlids for breeding purposes then I should go there and try my luck not that I ever did
now I don't no how much truth is in that but I did hear it on more than 1 occasion and it would explain why so many Barra would of been released into there by the fisheries and wildlife and why the Barra seems to of established itself so well.... Has anyone ever heard of this or has anyone ever caught non native species there before?..... just out of curiosity of course and I surely don't condone such activity's but interested non the less.