Peacock Bass

1 Breed Profile

The Peacock Bass (Cichla ocellaris), also called the Crown Three-Band Cichlid, is a large cichlid. Adults can reach 30-60 cm in length. As a fierce carnivorous species it can be fed live food and, once acclimated, will accept chunks of fish flesh, but it should not be kept with small fish.

Chinese name: Peacock Bass

Binomial: Cichla ocellaris

Also known as: Crown Three-Band, Crown Three-Band Fish, Cichlid, Emperor Three-Band.

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Subphylum: Vertebrata

Class: Osteichthyes

Subclass: Actinopterygii

Order: Perciformes

Suborder: Labroidei

Family: Cichlidae

Genus: Cichla

Species: Cichla ocellaris

2 Appearance

The Peacock Bass is also known as the Crown Three-Band, Crown Three-Band Fish, Cichlid, or Emperor Three-Band. It has a strong, robust body and a very fierce temperament – the most aggressive species within the cichlid family – so it should never be mixed with small ornamental fish.

A large cichlid, the adult reaches 30-60 cm and has a body shape similar to the mandarin fish, with a body length about three times its depth; the highest point lies at the front of the dorsal fin or the male’s head, tapering toward the tail. The body is deep yellow with three thick black vertical bands across the flanks and a black eyespot at the junction of the caudal fin and peduncle (a false eye). It has a large, superior mouth; males show a laterally flattened bump on the forehead, absent in females. The yellow body bears three dark transverse bands, the large head and mouth have a protruding lower jaw, and the caudal fin carries a large black eyespot ringed with yellow, giving the species its name.

3 Husbandry

The Peacock Bass is not difficult to keep and is not demanding about water quality. Given stable water conditions and nutritionally balanced food, it will grow healthily.

With its strong build and ferocious nature, it is the most aggressive of the cichlids and must not be kept with other fish. It is brutal, has a huge appetite, prefers live food, and likes weakly acidic to weakly alkaline water, with a suitable temperature of 22-28 C. It usually swims in the lower water layers, moving fast, reacting sharply, and hunting nimbly.

4 Feeding

Belonging to the cichlid family, the Peacock Bass is the most aggressive member of that family. In captivity one finds it has a startling appetite and grows well under almost any water conditions.

A fierce carnivorous fish, it generally eats only live fish and shrimp; once acclimated it will take fish-meat chunks and must not be kept with small fish. It usually swims in the lower layers, moving fast and hunting nimbly, and is not very demanding about water quality, preferring weakly acidic to neutral water.