These include forms with greater intensity and red marbling quantities across the body, albino, leuctical and xanthistic forms.Ī. To tell them apart it takes a close look at the genitalia.Ĭlassically, these cichlids are covered in a variety of irregular black and orange splots, but over time colors may change.Ī lot of varieties were created by selective breeding.įor the aquarium industry a number of ornamental Oscar fish varieties have been developed. Reproduction in this species will be hard to find as they are monomorphic, which means that both sexes have the same looks. The dorsal and anal fins extend along the body up to the caudal fin, forming a rear fan. In their lifetime they reach this size quite fast, growing one inch a month until they are fully grown. Most varieties grow to be large and reach a maximum of 12 inches. These are few varieties or types of oscar fish: Once the oscar establishes a territory, it defends it vigorously by chasing away other fish. The territory size varies according to the size and aggressiveness of the fish based on its surroundings. Oscars will often lay claim to an aquarium area and be very aggressive towards other fish intruding within the aquarium or lake on their newly established territory. The good news is that if the tank is set up correctly but you choose the right tank mates you can control their aggression. Most of their time is spent swimming in the tank ‘s mid-levels, although in search of food they often head down to the substratum.ĭuring this search you could see them uproot plants and decorations, so everything in the aquarium should be secured down. The matting and feeding times can fuel their aggression as well. They are not afraid of attacking other fish, and they will do so if a fish invades their territory. Oscars are territorial so it can be risky to bring them to your tank. Captive oscars usually eat carnivorous fish foods: crayfish, worms and insects. The species also has an absolute vitamin C requirement, and in its absence develops health problems. Wild oscars also consume seasonally shrimps, snails, insects and insect larvae, and fruits and nuts. The species uses a suction mechanism to capture prey, and the death mimicry of Parachromis friedrichsthalii and Nimbochromis livingstonii has been reported to be “laying-on-side” in similar fashion. Most of the wild fish eaten by Oscar fish are relatively sedentary catfish, including the species Bunocephalus, Rineloricaria, and Ochmacanthus. Ocellatus (a.k.a oscar fish) cares for brood, although the duration of breeding in the wild remains unknown. In captivity, it is known that pairs select and clean generally flattened horizontal or vertical surfaces to lay their 1,000-3,000 eggs on.Īs with most cichlids, astronotus.
Ocellatus fish are spawners of biparental substrates, although detailed information about their reproduction is scarce in the wild. The spawning frequency and timing can be related to rain incidence. The species achieves around a year of sexual maturity and continues to reproduce for 9–10 years. While the species is generally regarded as sexually monomorphic, males have been suggested to develop faster, and males are noted to possess dark blotches at the base of their dorsal fins in some naturally occurring strains.
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