Original description: Cuvier 1829 in Spix and Agassiz, Selecta genera at species Pisc.Bras, p129, p168, PI.F,1829.
Common name: Oscar or Velvet Cichlid or Marbled Cichlid
Distribution: Very widely distributed throughout South America, in the northern central parts and in the northern central parts and in particular the whole length of the Amazon River and many of its tributaries, and in the Rio Negro in Brazil.
Size: Males will grow to around 16" (40cm) in aquariums that allow them to reach this size, with females being around 13"/14" (33/35cm) total length.

This species has been part of the aquarium hobby for quite a long time and will be around a lot longer than most of us. It cannot be kept with small fish as it will be merciless and devour them. However, with fish of its own kind (e.g. other cichlids) it will get along quite well in general. You can get rogues in any fish family and this will sometimes happen with Oscars, but in general they are rather harmless. This species, even though it will eat anything small enough to get into its mouth, is easily bullied by more robust species like Black Belts, Dovii, Managuense, etc. For a fish that grows as large as the Oscar, it certainly gives in quickly when other larger fish start "picking on them".

The Oscar will tolerate a wide variety of water conditions provided that it is not too extreme. I have seen oscars in a pH of 3.8 and their fins are as ragged as you could ever see, simply because they were in such pathetic conditions. By bringing them back to a much more realistic pH the fins all return to normal, and the frayed look soon disappears. You must realise that any extreme in water conditions will bring on stress and this can sometimes lead to other problems such as "hole-in-the-head".

Oscars prefer a pH of just under...

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Information contributed by:
Norm Halliwell