AquaticRepublic.com - Astronotus ocellatus (Cichlidae) All Fishes

All Fishes Data Sheet
Scientific Name	**Astronotus ocellatus** (Agassiz, 1831)
Common Names	Red Oscar Marble Cichlid, Pfauenaugenbuntbarsch (Germany), Tiger Oscar, Velvet Cichlid
Type Locality	Atlantic [in error].
Synonym(s)	Acara compressus, Acara hyposticta, Acara ocellatus, Astronotus ocellatus ocellatus, Astronotus ocellatus zebra, Astronotus orbiculatus, Cychla rubroocellata, Lobotes ocellatus
Species Information
Size	457mm or 18" SL. Find near, nearer or same sized spp.
General Remarks	How this fish came to have the name Oscar is unknown although it was commonly referred to as such by the 1960s where that name supplanted this other common name of velvet cichlid. In 1949 Gene Wolfsheimer reported in „The Aquarium Journal“ that the aquarists in California called Astronotus cichlids Oscars (Wayne Leibel, Aquarium USA Annual 2001). Larger cichlids like these were popularised as aquarium fishes in the USA where they've been kept and written about since at least the 1930s. Perhaps the fish was popularised by a local fishkeeper called Oscar, perhaps it has it's roots in mispronounced or accented use of the term Acara.
Habitat Information
Distribution	South America: Amazon River basin in Peru, Colombia and Brazil to Argentina. Also known from French Guiana. Guyana Waters, Coastal Rivers of Guyanas, French Guyana Coastal Rivers (click on these areas to find other species found there) Amazon (click on these areas to find other species found there) Login to view the map.
IUCN Red List Category	Least Concern , range map and more is available on the IUCN species page. Last assessed 2020.
Husbandry Information
Breeding Reports	There is no breeding report.
Further Information
Reference	Selecta genera et species piscium quos in itinere per Brasiliam, pp 129, Pl. 68.
Registered Keepers	There is but a single registered keeper, view all "my fish" data.
Wishlists	Love this species? Click the heart to add it to your wish list. There is no wish to keep this species.
Spotters	Spotted this species somewhere? Click the binoculars! There is no record of this fish being seen.
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	Look up A. ocellatus on Fishbase
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	Look up A. ocellatus on Global Biodiversity Information Facility
	LFS label creator ARN ref:3.42.841.4900
Last Update	2025 Jan 01 12:45 (species record created: 2013 Jun 13 22:23)