Variety of Oscar
Albino oscar
Astronotus ocellatus
One of 4 varieties of Astronotus ocellatus · See all varieties →
FreshwaterFish
Varieties · Astronotus ocellatus
See all 4 →
Care at a glance
- Temperature
- 68–82°F
- 20–28°C
- pH
- 6.0–7.5
- Adult size
- 13.8 in
- 35 cm
- Minimum tank
- 95 gal
- 360 L
- Temperament
- Aggressive
- Social behavior
- Solitary
- Tankmates
- With caution
- Swim level
- Middle
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Breeding
- Hard
- Rarity
- Rare
- Family
- Cichlidae
Overview
Albino oscars are white to cream with the orange-red pattern still showing and pink to red eyes. Shops sometimes tag any pale oscar as albino, so check the eyes: a true albino has no dark pigment in them at all. The unpigmented eye is the practical difference, and keepers often give the fish shaded spots rather than bright open lighting.
In the wild
Albino oscars come from a pigment mutation kept going in ornamental farm stock. No wild albino population exists, so every fish sold traces back to captive breeding. No reliable source names the farm or the decade behind the line, so treat it as a hobby line of uncertain origin.
Good to know
Albinism blocks melanin, so the dark base drops out and the orange-red pattern is all that is left. The eye reads red from the blood behind it. Albinism is usually recessive in fish: two albino parents give albino young, and a cross to a normal oscar gives normal-looking carriers. Albino animals are generally reported to have weaker visual acuity and more sensitivity to bright light.
Did you know
The orange-red marbling on an albino is the same pattern the fish would have had anyway, with the dark half of it missing. Set an albino next to a tiger and the blotches sit in more or less the same places.
Common questions
Is an Albino oscar a different species from the Oscar?
No. An Albino oscar is a variety of the Oscar, Astronotus ocellatus, and it wants the same tank, water and food as the species.
What size tank does an Albino oscar need?
An Albino oscar needs at least 95 gal (360 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.
How big does an Albino oscar get?
An adult Albino oscar reaches about 13.8 in (35 cm).
Related species
11.4 in (29 cm)132 gal (500 L)73–82°F (23–28°C)Fat oscar
Astronotus crassipinnis
11.4 in (29 cm) · 132 gal (500 L)
11.4 in (29 cm)132 gal (500 L)77–86°F (25–30°C)Mikolji's oscar
Astronotus mikoljii
11.4 in (29 cm) · 132 gal (500 L)
13.8 in (35 cm)79 gal (300 L)70–79°F (21–26°C)Midas cichlid
Amphilophus citrinellus
13.8 in (35 cm) · 79 gal (300 L)
13.8 in (35 cm)75 gal (284 L)75–79°F (24–26°C)Red devil cichlid
Amphilophus labiatus
13.8 in (35 cm) · 75 gal (284 L)
13.8 in (35 cm)90 gal (340 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)Trimac cichlid
Amphilophus trimaculatus
13.8 in (35 cm) · 90 gal (340 L)
14.2 in (36 cm)317 gal (1,200 L)77–86°F (25–30°C)Xingu peacock bass
Cichla melaniae
14.2 in (36 cm) · 317 gal (1,200 L)