A Miami teenager has rewritten the Florida record books for jaguar guapote, pulling a 3.02-pound, 16-inch specimen from the Westwood Lakes area and earning official certification from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission in September 2026. Xzavier Peon, 16, was using live bait when he made the catch — and at first, he wasn't even sure what he had on the line.
"When I hooked it, I thought it was a peacock bass," Peon said. "But once the giant jaguar came up I knew that it was a state record almost instantly. We started freaking out once we realized it was a state record." FWC fisheries biologists examined and certified the fish, confirming it surpassed the previous record that had stood since 2017.
Jaguar guapote first became eligible for Florida state-record recognition in 2012, with the inaugural certified record arriving five years later. The colorful, boldly patterned cichlids are most commonly found in urban canal systems throughout Southeast Florida and are one of more than 30 nonnative freshwater fish species now established in the state.
FWC actively encourages anglers to catch, keep, and eat nonnative fish — jaguar guapote included — as a practical way to help keep their populations in check and reduce pressure on native species. The agency notes that releasing aquarium fish into Florida waterways or moving nonnative fish between water bodies is illegal and can cause lasting harm to local ecosystems.
This record was reported by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
