The Oscar, Astronotus ocellatus, belongs to the most popular species among the large cichlids. It was imported to Europe in 1929 for the first time. In Asia, many different sports have been bred since. However, the wild ancestors of the Oscar remain somewhat mysterious and little understood. Until recently, only one or two species were recognized within Astronotus. In the hobby, on the other hand, several populations are distinguished. Still scientists behave rather conservative in that point. So the Oscar from Colombia is stored in museums and listet in scientific literature still under the name of Astronotus ocellatus, whereas hobbyists call them sometimes Astronotus sp. “Orinoco”. The Colombians differ from “regular” wild Oscars by the lack of spots in the back bordered with red. Despite this contant difference, coloration in these wild Oscars is highly variable, as in all wild Oscars. Juveniles have a very nice, contrasting pattern.
We were able to import now a larger number of specimens of that beautiful fish.
For our customers: the species has code 632505 on our stocklist. Please note that we exclusively supply the wholesale trade.
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
| Angaben zum Tier | |
|---|---|
| Herkunft | Kolumbien / Colombia |
| Verfügbare Größe in cm | 15-20 |
