Obviously, these peacock bass find Miami's tropical weather to their liking. The warm temperature in these canals is assured by their geographic proximity to the Biscayne Aquifer, an underground water source that adds a little warmth, and the countless houses and trees that form barriers against the wind.

Although largemouths and peacocks co-exist nicely, the South American species dominates the canal system today. But that was expected, because peacock bass are better suited for the canal habitat, and their fry have a superior survival rate. According to Shafland, both the male and female fish guard their nest until the fry reach a length of about 4 inches -- rare behavior among freshwater game fish.

Two species of peacock bass were introduced to the South Florida canals, but the butterfly peacock has been the star. This too was expected, since the butterfly begins to spawn at the age of 10 to 12 months and spawns more than once a year. On the other hand, the speckled peacock first spawns at age three. Shafland expected the butterfly to become the "bread-and-butter" fishery, hoping that the speckled peacock, which can grow to the 30-pound mark, could provide a trophy species.

But while the butterfly peacock has flourished, the speckled species has completely disappeared in the South Florida canal system.

"The speckled peacocks have to be at least 10 pounds before they reproduce," Shafland explains. "And these canals get so much pressure that to have a 10-pound fish in these canals is like leaving a $100 bill on the ground with a sign pointing at it that says, 'If you leave this until next year it will be worth $200.' So I'm convinced that 100 percent of those fish were caught out of there. We haven't seen a speckled since probably 1989."

Although its sheer abundance is most impressive, the butterfly has grown to a respectable trophy size as well. The International Game Fish Association record is 11 1/2 pounds for a Florida fish, while the state-certified record stands at 10 1/2 pounds.

The peacock bass' native strongholds include Colombia, Peru, Venezuela and Guyana, as well as the Orinoco-Amazon River systems in Brazil. The species has been stocked in Hawaii, Panama and Puerto Rico, as well as South Florida.

Peacock bass are similar in body shape to largemouth bass. All species have a large, distinctive black spot on the tail, closely resembling the round markings found on the tail plume of the avian peacock -- thus the name of "peacock bass." The male peacock often sports a pronounced hump on its head, which breeding males use to engage in a head-butting ritual to protect their mate or territory.

The butterfly peacock, one of the most colorful and abundant members of its family, has three prominent black bars on its sides that fade away as it matures, and it often sports tones of gold to bright yellow, with orange, black, and white trim.

Zaremba was the first guide to target peacocks here in their new home and today has a thriving business. In fact, he's the only full-time guide targeting the species in the area. His 18-foot bass boat is a common sight in the backyard canals of residential housing developments and fenced-in commercial complexes. Spending most of his time in the Miami-Dade area, Zaremba has developed dependable ways to catch peacocks consistently throughout the year.