Orinoco Peacock Bass (Cichla orinocensis for Sale)

The Orinoco Peacock Bass is a powerful and large growing predator which is found throughout the Orinoco and Meta river drainages in Colombia and Venezuela. This voracious fish eater by nature, newly imported fish tend to prefer live foods at first but can be weaned onto frozen and prepared foods over time. Cichla orinocensis are fast growing and can be aggressive towards tankmates, especially other cichlids. Best kept with larger, fast-moving freshwater fish.

Cichla orinocensis, sometimes known as the Orinoco peacock bass, is a very large species of cichlid to say the least. It mainly occurs in blackwater rivers. Despite the name, it is not the only peacock bass in the Orinoco, as the river also is home to C. intermedia, C. nigromaculata, and C. temensis. Orinoco Peacock Bass overlaps with the last species, C. orinocensis prefers more slow-moving and shallow waters.They are able to tolerate more turbid waters than other species of peacock bass.

It reaches up to about 62 cm (2 feet) in standard length. Adults are easily recognized by the three large gold-edged dark spots on the side of their body (a fourth spot on the tail) and lack of dark markings on the operculum.

A genetic study has indicated a clear divergence between the Orinoco and Rio Negro populations. If split, the Orinoco would retain the scientific name C. orinocensis.

Aggressive and predatory these cichlids will eat any fish big enough to fit in their large mouths! Best kept with other large cichlids or catfish. Species of the genus Cichla are among the major food and game fishes in South America. The Orinoco is one of the harder to obtain peacock bass cichlids in the cichlid hobby and it highly sought after by oddball and monster fish keepers for its huge appetite and aggression.