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Predation is considered to be an important factor structuring natural communities. However, it is often difficult to determine how it may influence long‐term, broad‐scale, diversity patterns, particularly in diverse tropical systems. Biological introductions can provide powerful insight to test the sustained consequences of predation in natural communities, if pre‐introduction data are available. Half a century ago, Zaret and Paine demonstrated strong and immediate community‐level effects following the introduction of a novel apex predator (peacock bass, Cichla monoculus) into Lake Gatun, Panama. To test for long‐term changes associated with this predator introduction, we followed up on their classic study by replicating historical sampling methods and examining changes in the littoral fish community at two sites in Lake Gatun 45 years post‐introduction. To broaden our inference, we complemented this temporal …