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No federal permit to keepSpeckled pavon
Cichla temensis
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Cichla temensis, the speckled peacock bass, painted pavon, royal pavon, speckled pavon, three-barred peacock bass, or striped tucunaré, is a very large South American cichlid.
Care at a glance
Species-specific aquarium care
- Tank: At least 192 in long and 78 in front to back for one adult (adults commonly reach about 39.0 in / 99 cm).
- Water: Freshwater.
- Temperature: 81–84°F (range recorded for this species).
- pH: 5.5–6.5.
- Layout: Uses both the bottom and open water: give open swimming space plus cover near the substrate.
- Diet: A predator: feed meaty foods sized to its mouth (frozen fish, shrimp, worms); it will eat tankmates that fit in its mouth. FishBase classes it as a carnivore.
Calculated from this species' own FishBase record: tank size from its typical adult length and swimming zone, water values from its recorded ranges. The group guide below fills in general care.
Care guide
Species care notes
- Water: a fairly wide range, from slightly acidic to slightly alkaline, 81–84 °F, pH 5.5–6.5, 0–15 dGH.
- Behaviour: temperament territorial.
- Difficulty: Difficult (Seriously Fish rating).
Short excerpts from the species profile:
- Setup: “This species requires a lot of swimming space, so it is a good idea to furnish the tank fairly sparsely.”
- Tankmates: “Territorial and moderately aggressive.”
- Breeding: “Limited reports of breeding in the hobby.”
From the Seriously Fish profile for this species, which has the full habitat, maintenance, diet, behaviour and breeding write-up 167
Oscars, peacock bass, pike cichlids and eartheaters
Applies to most species in this group. Habitat: Large South American rivers. Individual species can differ, so compare with the species numbers above and the linked sources.
Housing & setup
- For one adult Astronotus ocellatus, plan at least a 150 × 60 cm base according to Seriously Fish; pairs and groups need more space. Use separate adult plans for Cichla and each eartheater species.
- Soft sand for eartheaters (Geophagus, Satanoperca), which sift substrate through their gills.
Climate & lighting
Starting point only: The blanket warm-water interval excludes the subtropical seasonal requirements of G. balzanii; use overrides. Check the species-specific values for this animal where shown.
| Water | 77–84°F |
Diet
- Astronotus ocellatus is an omnivore with a preference for animal foods; offer quality pellets and varied suitable foods rather than feeder-fish dependence. Cichla and substrate-sifting eartheaters require separate feeding plans.
Health watch
- Hole-in-the-head disease and lateral line erosion in poor water; eartheaters suffer on sharp gravel.
Understanding the animal
About this animal
About this animal
Reaching nearly 1 m (3.3 ft) in length, it is the largest cichlid of the Americas, and one of the largest extant cichlids in the world. It is an important predator in its native waterways, as well as a prized food fish and game fish, which has led to a number of attempted introductions outside of its native range.
Quoted from the Wikipedia article “Cichla temensis” (CC BY-SA 4.0) 174
In the wild
In the wild
From this species’ own FishBase record (habitat, bottom type, water and breeding data), not its family. Good care copies these conditions.1
| Where it lives | Lives in freshwater, in rivers and streams. Uses both the bottom and open water. Occupies deeper littoral areas in lagoons and sandy and rocky banks of the main river channel. Feeds mainly on small fish (especially characids measuring <10 cm SL). |
| Water it lives in | Freshwater, 81–84 °F (27–29 °C), pH 5.5–6.5. |
| Climate | Tropical climate. |
| Wild diet | Hunting macrofauna (predator). |
| Behavior to plan for | Breeding: nesters. |
What this means for care
- Keep water within its wild range, 81–84 °F.
Native climate (measured)
Native climate (measured)
| Warm-season highs | about 91°F (up to 95°F in the hottest sampled areas) |
| Cool-season lows | about 71°F (down to 67°F in the coldest sampled areas) |
| Average temperature | 78–82°F across sampled records |
| Relative humidity | 77–84% on average (driest month about 75%) |
| Rainfall | about 2360 mm a year |
Measured at 169 wild occurrence records sampled against WorldClim 2.1 climate data (1970–2000 averages). Air conditions in the range are ecological context, not enclosure settings: microhabitats such as burrows, leaf litter or basking rocks can be cooler, warmer or more humid.
From the sources
From the sources
Quoted from the matching sections of reputable sources for this exact species. Specialist databases are used first; Wikipedia (community-edited, CC BY-SA 4.0) only fills gaps. Other sources are short credited quotes.
| Overview | Cichla temensis, the speckled peacock bass, painted pavon, royal pavon, speckled pavon, three-barred peacock bass, or striped tucunaré, is a very large South American cichlid. Reaching nearly 1 m in length, it is the largest cichlid of the Americas, and one of the largest extant cichlids in the world. It is an important predator in its native waterways, as well as a prized food fish and game fish, which has led to a number of attempted introductions outside of its native range. — Wikipedia (community-edited) |
| Where it lives | Home ranges Population dynamics Growth parameters Max. ages / sizes Length-weight rel. Length-frequencies Mass conversion Recruitment Abundance Life cycle Reproduction Maturity Maturity/Gills rel. — FishBase |
| Wild diet | C. temensis is a diurnal predator, hunting fish that it can swallow whole; it has been described as a potential keystone predator. Their feeding activity is the highest between 9 AM and 3 PM on warm sunny days. — Wikipedia (community-edited) |
| Appearance and size | Maximum length 99.0 cm tl male/unsexed; maximum published weight 12.2 kg. — FishBase |
| Biology | Adults occupy deeper littoral areas in lagoons and sandy and rocky banks of the main river channel. They feed mainly on small fish (especially characids measuring 26329, 27531 ). Has been introduced to Florida and Texas, but is considered not established yet. — FishBase |
| Conservation | The amazon river dolphin and the piranha Serrasalmus manueli have been noted to attack various species of peacock bass, including C. temensis, that were hooked or being released. Additionally, piscivorous snakes, black caiman, and giant river otter also preys on C. temensis. — Wikipedia (community-edited) |
Data and studies
The numbers
The numbers
Each bar is what one source reports. Where several sources weigh in, the dashed gold band marks their average.
Typical adult weight
Average adult body mass in each database (FishBase gives the maximum recorded weight).
Adult length
Maximum recorded length. Measured as total length. Fish in home aquariums often stay smaller than wild records.
Water temperature
Range the species tolerates in nature; aim for the middle.
Water hardness
Veterinary & husbandry research
Veterinary & husbandry research
- Effects of temperature on metabolic rate and lower dissolved oxygen tolerance of juvenile speckled peacock bass Cichla temensis Coffill-Rivera ME et al., Journal of fish biology 2023
Peer-reviewed papers that mention this species alongside captivity, zoos, veterinary care or aquaculture. Some cover several species or mention it only in passing, so check the abstract. 170
Sources for this sheet
- FishBase (Froese & Pauly, eds.), version 24.07 Peer-reviewed researchThe global scientific database on fishes, maintained by a consortium of research institutions; every value is referenced.
- Seriously Fish species profiles Experienced keeper or breederLong-running aquarium reference written and peer-checked by experienced fishkeepers and ichthyologists; each profile covers habitat, tank size, water, diet, behaviour and breeding.
- Merck Veterinary Manual: Management of aquarium fish Zoo, university or veterinaryThe Merck Veterinary Manual: a standard veterinary reference written and reviewed by veterinary specialists.
- Merck Veterinary Manual: Types and features of aquatic systems Zoo, university or veterinaryThe Merck Veterinary Manual: a standard veterinary reference written and reviewed by veterinary specialists.
- Seriously Fish: Gymnogeophagus balzanii Experienced keeper or breederAdded in the 2026 source-checked care-guide review.
- Seriously Fish — Astronotus ocellatus Zoo, university or veterinaryAdded in the 2026 source-checked care-guide review.
- Wikipedia (species article) Community referenceFree encyclopedia; useful overviews with their own citations. Intro text is quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- PubMed (U.S. National Library of Medicine) Peer-reviewed researchIndex of peer-reviewed veterinary, zoo and husbandry research.
- iNaturalist (captive observations) Community referenceCommunity observation platform run by the California Academy of Sciences and National Geographic; observations marked captive show animals living in homes, zoos and aquariums.
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