All fish / Cichlidae

Orinoco Peacock Bass

Cichla orinocensis

Also known as peacock bass, orinoco peacock cichlid, butterfly peacock bass, three-spot peacock bass, pavon, tucunare, peacock cichlid, cichla orinocense, ปลาพีค็อกแบส, シクラ・オリノケンシス, ピーコックバス, ikan peacock bass

A large, powerful predatory cichlid with a golden green body marked by three black, pale-ringed eyespots along the flank and a further ocellus on the tail. It is kept by specialist keepers of large predatory fish for its colour, bold character and impressive size.

Care at a glance

Care level

Hard

Temperament

Aggressive

Adult size

50 cm

Temperature

25 to 30 °C

pH

5.5 to 7.5

Smallest tank

1500 litres

Keep as

Singly or as a pair in a very large tank

Diet

Carnivore: whole fish, prawns, mussel and large pellets once weaned

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

10 to 15 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Orinoco, upper Negro and Essequibo basins (Venezuela, Colombia, Brazil, Guyana)

Breeding

Pairs clean a flat surface on the bottom, lay several thousand eggs and guard eggs and fry fiercely. Spawning has happened in very large aquaria and ponds, but space requirements make it rare in home tanks.

Good to know

Grows to 50 cm or more and will eat any fish it can swallow, so it needs an exceptionally large tank with strong filtration. Introduced peacock bass have damaged native fish populations elsewhere, so it is restricted in some regions and must never be released.