Astronotus
| Astronotus | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Astronotus ocellatus | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Perciformes |
| Family: | Cichlidae |
| Subfamily: | Astronotinae |
| Genus: | Astronotus Swainson, 1839 |
| Species | |
|
See text. |
|
Astronotus is a genus of South American fish from the family Cichlidae. The genus is one of three genera which make up the tribe Chaetobranchini. There are two species in the genus (listed below), both of which are found in the Amazon Basin, while one of two also is found in the Paraná and Paraguay rivers. Astronotus species grow to 35 cm in size, and are monomorphic. They are opportunistic omnivores and consume a range of smaller fish, crustaceans, mollusks and other invertebrates in the wild.
One species, Astronotus ocellatus, is popular in the aquarium trade where it goes under the trade name of the "Oscar". A. ocellatus forms monogamous pairs which spawn in the open, typically on a flattened stone or in a shallow depression. The juvenile colouration is different from that of the adult and may aid in camouflage of the fry.
In contrast, A. crassipinnis is rarely exported and is not seen often in the aquarium trade.
A photo of a varied strain of the fish, A Long Finned Oscar
[edit] Species
- Astronotus crassipinnis (Heckel, 1840).
- Astronotus ocellatus (Agassiz, 1831).
[edit] References
- Froese, Rainer, and Daniel Pauly, eds. (2006). Species of Astronotus in FishBase. May 2006 version.
