Oscar
Astronotus ocellatus
The oscar is a large cichlid from the Amazon basin, from shallow, slow or still waters. It has yellow-ringed eyespots at the base of the tail. It eats small fish, crustaceans and insect larvae. Pairs spawn on flat surfaces and care for the young. It is a food fish in South America and has been introduced to other countries.
- Scientific name
- Astronotus ocellatus
- Family
- Cichlidae
Fact sheet
General
- Water
- Freshwater
- Group
- Fish
Taxonomy
- Family
- Cichlidae
- Order
- Cichliformes
- Synonyms
- Acara compressus, Acara hyposticta, Astronotus ocellatus ocellatus, Astronotus ocellatus zebra, Astronotus orbiculatus, Cychla rubroocellata, Lobotes ocellatus
Origin
- Native region
- América do Sul
Water
- Temperature
- 20–28 °C
- pH
- 6–7.5
- General hardness (GH)
- 5–20 °dGH
Size and lifespan
- Adult size
- 35 cm
- Minimum tank (volume)
- 540 L
- Minimum tank (length)
- 150 cm
Behavior
- Social life
- Pair
- Swimming level
- Middle
- Diet
- Omnivore
Care
- Care difficulty
- Moderate
Reproduction
- Breeding strategy
- Substrate or cave spawner
Conservation and trade
- IUCN status
- Least concern (LC)
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