Cichla ocellaris

Cichla ocellaris
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Perciformes
Family:	Cichlidae
Subfamily:	Cichlinae
Genus:	Cichla
Species:	Cichla ocellaris Bloch & Schneider, 1801

Cichla ocellaris, sometimes known as the butterfly peacock bass ("peacock bass" is also used for some of its relatives), is a very large species of cichlid from South America, and a prized game fish. It reaches 74 centimetres (29 in) in length.^[1] It is native to the Marowijne and Essequibo drainages in the Guianas, and the Branco River in Brazil. It has also been introduced to regions outside its natural range (e.g., Florida, Hawaii and Puerto Rico), but some uncertainty exists over the exact identity, and at least some of the introductions may involve another Cichla species or hybrids.^[2] It is frequently confused with C. monoculus.

References

1. ^ Froese, Rainer, and Daniel Pauly, eds. (2011). "Cichla ocellaris" in FishBase. April 2011 version.
2. ^ Nico, L. (2011). Cichla ocellaris. USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Database, Gainesville, FL.