Butterfly peacock bass

Care at a glance

Overview

A single adult needs a tank of at least 800 liters at 24 to 28 C and pH 6.0 to 7.5, and juveniles are usually grown out in groups. Provide strong filtration, since these fish are large and messy eaters. Feed meaty foods and pellets built for predators, and avoid live feeder fish that carry disease. Tankmates must be large and robust, since anything small becomes prey.

In the wild

The butterfly peacock bass is native to coastal rivers of the Guiana Shield, from the Marowijne in Suriname to the Essequibo in Guyana, plus the Branco River in Brazil. It hunts in warm, rocky-bottomed river stretches and quiet pools. This is an open-water predator that grows very large. It needs a huge tank with long, open swimming lanes.

Good to know

Cichla ocellaris was described by Bloch and Schneider in 1801 and reaches about 74 cm. The name was long applied across the whole genus, so many aquarium fish sold as ocellaris are actually Cichla monoculus or Cichla kelberi. Adults carry three dark bars and a caudal eyespot.

Common questions

Related species

• 

  Monoculus peacock bass

  Cichla monoculus

  27.6 in (70 cm) · 528 gal (2,000 L)

  27.6 in (70 cm)528 gal (2,000 L)77–86°F (25–30°C)

• 

  Orinoco peacock bass

  Cichla orinocensis

  24.4 in (62 cm) · 528 gal (2,000 L)

  24.4 in (62 cm)528 gal (2,000 L)77–86°F (25–30°C)

• 

  Kelberi peacock bass

  Cichla kelberi

  23.6 in (60 cm) · 396 gal (1,500 L)

  23.6 in (60 cm)396 gal (1,500 L)77–86°F (25–30°C)

• 

  Speckled peacock bass

  Cichla temensis

  39 in (99 cm) · 396 gal (1,500 L)

  39 in (99 cm)396 gal (1,500 L)79–84°F (26–29°C)

• 

  Blue peacock bass

  Cichla piquiti

  18.9 in (48 cm) · 396 gal (1,500 L)

  18.9 in (48 cm)396 gal (1,500 L)77–86°F (25–30°C)

• 

  Xingu peacock bass

  Cichla melaniae

  14.2 in (36 cm) · 317 gal (1,200 L)

  14.2 in (36 cm)317 gal (1,200 L)77–86°F (25–30°C)