Oscar Astronotus ocellatus

CICHLIDAE FAMILY
Also called acará-acu, cará-acu, acará-grande, bola-de-ouro, paya, marble cichlid, red oscar

The oscar is native to the Orinocok Amazon and La Plata River basins in South America. In Florida, its presence was recorded as far back as the 1950’s. Today the oscar is established throughout southeast Florida and has been introduced to Puerto Rico, Hawaii, Guam, Hong Kong, Cote de’Ivoire and other locals.

The thick-bodied oscar, is a dark brown fish with variable olive to red markings on most of the body. The key feature is an ocellus, a black spot encircled by a distinct red ring, on the tail. The caudal, dorsal and anal fins are rounded and fanlike, much like the saltwater tripletail.

Oscars are aggressive and some anglers claim, a much stronger fighter than either a largemouth or bluegill of equal size. Attaining a maximum size of 18 in (45.7 cm) and 3.5 lb (1.6 kg), oscars can be a challenge for an angler employing light spinning tackle or a flyrod. The oscar is prized for its tastiness and the chunky body can provide nice fillets

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