Peacock bass

Name and family

Scientific name Cichla spp.

The peacock basses are the genus Cichla, with several species that are hard to tell apart and are often confused. Which species lives in a given pond is not something we state without a source.

They are cichlids, relatives of tilapia and angelfish, not of the largemouth bass.

What makes it special

Not a true bass but a cichlid. It hunts by sight, in daylight, and hits surface lures hard. It suffers when the water gets cold.

Males guard the nest, and during the breeding season they can grow a fatty hump on the forehead.

Where it lives

Native to the Amazon and Orinoco basins in South America. In other warm regions it lives in stocked lakes and ponds.

They need warm water. When the temperature drops they feed less and can die in a cold snap, which is why they only live in the tropics and in heated or very warm waters.

What it eats

Almost only fish.

Before you fish

Fishing rules change by country, state and season. Check them before you fish.

What worked for us

WHAT_WORKED_DA_COMPLETARE