Cichla ocellaris
Butterfly Peacock Bass
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Collection Details
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Taxonomic Hierarchy
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned Fishes)
Perciformes (Perciformes, Also Called the Acanthopteri)
Cichlidae (Cichlids)
Cichla
Cichla ocellaris (Butterfly Peacock Bass)
Description
This species account was compiled from
Composite (multiple sources) (Carpenter, K.E. (ed.) 2002. The living marine resources of the Western Central Atlantic. FAO Species Identification Guide for Fishery Purposes. FAO, Rome.)
and processed using AI-assisted text extraction.
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Characters
Body shape: fusiform / normal. Diagnosis. Distinguished from all other species of Cichla except C. nigromaculata, C. intermedia, C. piquiti, and C. melaniae, by presence of bars 1a and 2a. Lateral band abbreviated in juveniles. Distinguished from its congeners with abbreviated lateral band by lateral line usually continuous (vs. discontinuous or nearly always discontinuous in orinocensis and nigromaculata; scales in E1 row (67-) 70-80 (-82) (vs. 84-93 in pleiozona); occipital bar absent or indistinct (vs. emphasized in adults of monoculus, kelberi, and pleiozona); abdominal blotches present (vs. absent in orinocensis); vertical bars present at adult size (vs. three midlateral ocellated blotches in orinocensis), except that an ocellated blotch consistently formed in dorsal portion of bar 3; absence of small black blotches on dorsum (vs. present in nigromaculata); vertical bars about equally wide across side (vs. wide, occasionally confluent dorsally, and tapering ventrad in nigromaculata, monoculus, kelberi, and pleiozona. Distinguished from C. intermedia, C. piquiti, and C. melaniae by abbreviated vs. complete juvenile lateral band, less scales in E1 row (67-82 vs. (78) 83-108), and presence of ocellated blotch in dorsal portion of bar 3 vs. absence (Ref. 57716).
Description: Appears basically yellow with a dark green back and white belly; eyes reddish with several dark vertical bands extending partially down the sides of the body; males with prominent hump on the nape; distinct black "eye spot" on the tail, from which the fish got its name (Ref. 44091). Striking features: striking fins.
Distribution
USA (Florida), Panama, Puerto Rico,
Habitat Associations
Freshwater, brackish. benthopelagic.
Biology
To 74 cm.
Occurs in the rapids, in quiet waters with medium depth and rocky substrates (Ref. 35237). Forms schools (Ref. 9086). Feeds only on small fish, especially threadfin shad, mosquito fish, tilapia and bluegill. Not considered ideal for aquaculture due to its highly predatory habits (Ref. 1739). Reproduction occurs year-round, with a peak at the start of the rainy season. About 9,000 to 15,000 eggs per kg are released during spawning. Spawning takes place every two months on a flat stone in shallow water. The sticky eggs, measuring 1.4 mm in diameter, take 78 hours to hatch at 28°C.
Reproductive mode: dioecism; fertilization: external; guarders (clutch tenders); parental care: biparental. Spawning, with rare exceptions, takes place on a flat, horizontal surface which is either bare to begin with, or cleared of algae or other vegetation during the spawning activities. The female moves forward laying a single row of eggs and the male follows exuding sperm over each row. Once the eggs have hatched, the parents transport the larvae in their mouths to one of the depression nests.
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC), assessed 2020-11-05. Resilience: High (Assuming tm=1; multiple spawning per year; Fec=9,000-15,000).
Commercial or Environmental Importance
Fisheries: minor commercial; gamefish; aquaculture: commercial; aquarium: commercial.
References
Honebrink, R. (1990) Fishing in Hawaii: a student manual. Education Program, Division of Aquatic Resources, Honolulu, Hawaii. 79 p.
Zaret, T.M. (1980) Life history and growth relationships of Cichla ocellaris, a predatory south American cichlid. Biotropica 12(2):144-157.
Kullander, S.O. and H. Nijssen (1989) The cichlids of Surinam: Teleostei, Labroidei. E.J. Brill, Leiden, The Netherlands. 256 p.
Kullander, S.O. (2003) Cichlidae (Cichlids). p. 605-654. In R.E. Reis, S.O. Kullander and C.J. Ferraris, Jr. (eds.) Checklist of the Freshwater Fishes of South and Central America. Porto Alegre: EDIPUCRS, Brasil.
IGFA (2001) Database of IGFA angling records until 2001. IGFA, Fort Lauderdale, USA.
Yamamoto, M.N. and A.W. Tagawa (2000) Hawai'i's native and exotic freshwater animals. Mutual Publishing, Honolulu, Hawaii. 200 p.
Kullander, S.O. and E.J.G. Ferreira (2006) A review of the South American cichlid genus Cichla, with descriptions of nine new species. Ichthyol. Explor. Freshwat. 17(4):289-398.
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