Thrives in standing waters. Inhabits reservoirs, rivers, creeks, drains, swamps and tidal creeks; commonly over mud bottoms, often in well-vegetated areas. Also found in warm weedy pools of sluggish streams, canals, and ponds. Most common in blind estuaries and coastal lakes, but usually absent from permanently open estuaries and open sea and from fast-flowing waters. Normally not found at high altitudes. Able to survive extreme reduction of temporary waterbodies. Highly euryhaline. Grows and reproduces in fresh-, brackish and seawater. Can be reared under hyper-saline conditions. Tolerates low dissolved oxygen levels and can utilise atmospheric oxygen when water oxygen levels drop. Mainly diurnal. May form schools. Omnivorous, feeds mainly on algae and phytoplankton but also takes some zooplankton, small insects and their larvae, shrimps, earthworms and aquatic macrophytes. Juvenile carnivorous/omnivorous, adult tends to be herbivorous or detritus feeder. Large specimen has been reported to prey on small fishes, and occasionally cannibalise their own young. Exhibits considerable plasticity in its feeding habits as well as in its reproductive biology. Polygamous, maternal mouthbrooder. Reaches sexual maturity at 15 centimeter length, but stunted fish may breed at 6-7 centimeters and at an age of just over 2 months. Fecundity high. Extended temperature range 8-42 °C, natural temperature range 17-35°C, with salinity-dependent difference in temperature tolerance. Somewhat aggressive toward other species. Marketed fresh and frozen. Excellent palatability, with small head and large dress-out weight, and filets without small bones. Used extensively in biological, physiological and behavioural research. Translocated and introduced for aquaculture, sport fishing, stocking man-made lakes and biological control of nuisance plants and animals. Eurytopic; a most successful and vagile invader