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Suggested pronunciation: SICK-luh mon-ock-YOU-luss
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Common name- Peacock Bass
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Sexing-Males develop a hump when mature.
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Diet Carnivore - live fish, earthworms, live black worms; chopped meat;
carnivore tablets and pellets.
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Swimming level-hey mainly inhabit the middle region of the tank.
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size: 24-30 inches
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Water parameters:
# pH: acid to neutral (5.5-8.0)
# Hardness: soft to hard(2-20dH)
# Temperature: 23-28oC.
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Recommended for- Moderately experienced to experienced fishkeepers;
large tropical tank; breeders; species tank.
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Description....
# Cichla monoculus is a large elongated cichlid with a sloping
forehead and a large, upward facing mouth.
# The body is yellow to gold in colour, with three distinct vertical
broad black bands running to the middle of the body.
# They have a large fan-shaped tail.
# The mid-region of the body above the belly is marked with black
splotches. This blotching continues into the tail.
# The lower half of the tail, the pelvic and anal fins are
orange-yellow.
# The throat and belly are white.
# The dorsal fin is long based and black. The rear of the dorsal fin
fades to a smoky grey.
# They have a long caudal peduncle and the end of the dorsal fin almost
overlaps the caudal fin.
# There is an eye-spot on the upper part of the caudal peduncle.
# Juveniles have a body stripe and two spots on the front half of the
body.
# The juveniles are silver in colour.
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Taxonomy....
# Kingdom: Animalia
* Phylum: Chordata: Sub-phylum: Vertebrates - Group: Fish
o Class: Osteichthyes (Bony Fish): Sub-class: Actinopterygii
(Ray-finned Fish)
+ Order: Perciformes (Perch-like Fish)
# Family: Cichlidae: subfamily: Cichlinae
* Genus: Cichla
o Species: monoculus
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Habitat information:
# Cichla monoculus is found in the Amazon River basin in Peru,
Colombia and Brazil and the Oyapock River in Brazil.
# They inhabit both black water and white water habitats, with varying
water chemistry.
# This fish stays in slow moving, deeper water close to the shore where
small fishes may be concentrated. Juveniles feed on shrimps, while
adults are almost exclusively piscivores.
# Adults are territorial and usually occupy an area of bank which
includes logs or branch tangles. They are not usually found in the main
current in the middle of the river.
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Compatibility....
* The Peacock Bass is a large, predatory cichlid that is
territorial towards others, especially of its own species.
* They should only be kept with other large, robust fish of similar
temperament.
* This fish is best kept in a species tank. They will not damage
plants, but may uproot them when they swim or dig in the substrate.
Ideas for suitable tankmates....
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South America
Sailfin Pleco (Glyptoperichthys gibbiceps)
Leporinus (Leporinus fasciatus)
Flag-tailed Prochilodus (Semaprochilodus insignis)
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Other Cichlids
Chocolate Cichlid (Hypselacara temporalis)
Brasili (Geophagus brasiliensis)
Oscar (Astronotus ocellatus)
Uaru (Uaru amphiacanthoides)
Red Horseface (Geophagus surinamensis)
Jurupari (Satanoperca leucosticta)
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Central America
Vieja fenestrata
Festae (Nandopsis festae)
Cuban Cichlid (Nandopsis tetracanthus)
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Asia
Tin-foil Barb (Barbus schwanenfeldi)
Giant Gourami (Osphronemus goramy)
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Australia/New Guinea
Salmon-tail Catfish (Arius graffeii)
Saratoga (Scleropages leichhardti)
Eel-tail Catfish (Tandanus tandanus)
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Breeding....
* Cichla monoculus is a pair-forming substrate spawner.
* Pairs form nuclear families.
* In the wild....
o As many as 10,000 eggs may be laid on rocks in the muddy
shallows during the rainy season.
o Peacock Bass are excellent parents, caring for the young
for four weeks.
o By this time the fry are 5 centimetres in length and the
female is chased off by the male.
o Spawning usually begins at the start of the dry season,
when waters are already low.
o They spawn so that the eggs will hatch when the waters are
just starting to raise again. They do this so that the fry will be able
to find security among the tangle of tree roots and branches of the
flooded forest
o Peacock Bass will stay near the fry and protect them,
attacking and chasing away anything that gets too close.
o Males are sexually mature after one year while females
mature after two years.
o During reproduction, large males develop a frontal hump and
become territorial.
* These fish have recently been bred in the aquarium (pair with
eggs right).
* In the aquarium the eggs are laid on a rock.
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Did you know?
- The genus name Cichla comes from the Greek word kichle meaning a
wrasse.
- The species name monoculus comes from the Latin word mono meaning one
and oculus meaning an ornament or eye - referring to the oculii or spot
on the caudal peduncle.
- Cichla monoculus was first described in 1831 by Spix and Agassiz as
Cichla monoculus.
- This fish belongs to a genus containing 5 recognised species
collectively known as Peacock Bass.
- A common characteristic shared by all Peacock Bass is the black
circular �eye spot� - dramatically rimmed in gold - on the base of the
caudal fin. This spot closely resembles the tail plume of a male
peacock - giving them the common name Peacock Bass.
- The maximum published weight for this fish is 90 kilograms.
- The Peacock Bass is a large pursuit predator.
- The eye-spot on the caudal fin is believed to confuse piscivorous
Piranhas which try to nip at the tail fin.
- This popular angling species is said to be one of the strongest
fighters around. Their popularity as a game fish has lead to their
introduction into other South American river systems, at a cost to the
native fish of those areas.
- The Peacock Bass is raised in ponds as a food fish. Their meat is
reported to be very good.
- Throughout its life the Peacock Bass adapts itself to its different
environments by changing colour and pattern.
~ As a juvenile, the Peacock Bass has a horizontal line on its body
because it still lives at the surface of the water and white spots that
resemble gravel from the bottom of the lakes or stagnant waters.
~ When it becomes an adult, the vertical bars are more visible, helping
its adaptation to deeper water.
- They are commonly called tucunar� in Brazil and Peru, while most
Spanish speaking South American countries use the term Pavon Cinchado -
Peacock Bass.
- In Brazil the female is known as tucunar� paca while the males are
known as tucunar� a�u.
- The Peacock Bass prefers to ambush unsuspecting prey from a stealthy
hiding spot.
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