Peacock Bass

About

Found drifting through the shallow margins of lagoons and slow-moving river channels, this large cichlid from the Orinoco and Negro basins, Cichla orinocensis, is one of several species that hobbyists collectively call Peacock Bass. In the wild it hunts primarily small characins, and that instinct doesn't switch off in captivity. Anything small enough to fit in its mouth is dinner, full stop. Adults push close to two feet in length, which means housing this fish properly is genuinely difficult. A 250-gallon tank is considered a starting point, not a luxury, and even then you need to be thoughtful about tankmates. Other large, robust species, big catfish, arowanas, stingrays, oversized cichlids, can work in a sufficiently large system, but success is never guaranteed. The species is territorial and moderately aggressive, so even companions of similar size need monitoring. One thing worth flagging: Cichla orinocensis turns up at fish shops as irresistible two-inch juveniles that give no visual hint of what they'll eventually become. That mismatch between the baby in the bag and the adult in five years catches a lot of people off guard. Hardy and adaptable once settled, this fish rewards a keeper who has done the planning upfront.