Range - Found throughout Florida. Habitat - Prefers swamps, sloughs and pools, backwaters of lowland streams. Usually found near vegetation. They live in warm, poorly oxygenated waters that are uninhabitable to most fishes. Spawning Habits - Spawning generally occurs during the spring.
Males clear out a nesting area among heavy aquatic vegetation.
The eggs are laid at night by one or more females. The males guard the eggs and protect the young. The eggs hatch in six to 10 days and the larvae attach themselves to the substrate with an adhesive organ on the tip of their nose. The young begin to fend for themselves when about one and one-half inches long, but remain well hidden in heavy vegetation until they are about 10 inches in length. Feeding Habits - About 80 percent of their diet consists of fish, with crayfish being the second most dominant food item.