Astronotus ocellatus
A pair of Red Tiger Oscars. PHOTO: © Debra Dickson |
Scientific Name: Astronotus ocellatus (Agassiz, 1831).
Previous Name/s, Synonym/s: Lobotes ocellatus, Cychla rubroocellata, Acara compressus, Acara hyposticta, Astronotus ocellatus zebra, Astronotus orbiculatus.
Common Name: Oscar.
Varieties: Albino, Lutino Cross, Orange, Red, Red Tiger.
Geographic Origin: Amazon River basin in Peru, Colombia and Brazil.
Habitat: Slow-moving waters with snags.
Diet: Carnivore.
Gender Differences: Monomorphic.
Breeding: Substrate spawner.
Temperament: aggressive.
Maximum Size: 47cm.
Temperature Range: 22-25°C.
pH: 6.0-8.0.
Water Hardness: Soft.
Comments:
Astronotus ocellatus is one of the world’s best-known and most-kept American cichlids.
It prefers quiet, shallow waters in mud- or sand-bottomed canals and ponds of the Amazon River basin, where it is a highly prized food fish.
Astronotus ocellatus feeds on small fish, crayfish, worms and insect larvae in the wild. In the aquarium it will readily accept most quality prepared foods and will relish the addition of some live or frozen food in the diet.
Body colour is dark with bright orange gill cover margins and ventral parts of the lateral sides of the body, often with a black, rounded blotch with orange at the margin of the caudal fin base. They are monomorphic, so you will normally only know the sex of your fish when they start laying eggs.
There are various ways you can increase your chances of obtaining a male and a female. Probably the easiest way is to find somebody who is willing to let you have a known mating pair. Many people would prefer to get multiple fish at a young age and wait for them to pair off.
Oscars are substrate spawners and a mature pair can produce up to 1000 eggs, which they prefer to lay on a flat surface. If there is no suitable rock for them to lay their eggs on, they will clear a patch of the substrate until the bottom of the tank is exposed and lay their eggs there.
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