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Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes) > Perciformes (Perch-likes) > Cichlidae (Cichlids) > Astronotinae
Etymology: Astronotus: Greek, astra = ray + Greek, noton = back (Ref. 45335).

Environment / Climate / Range Ecology

Freshwater; benthopelagic; pH range: 6.0 - 8.0; dH range: 5 - 19. Tropical; 22°C - 25°C (Ref. 1672); 4°N - 15°S, 78°W - 47°W

Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: L_m 12.0 range ? - ? cm
Max length : 45.7 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 40637); common length : 24.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 12193); max. published weight: 1.6 kg (Ref. 40637)

Short description Morphology | Morphometrics

Dorsal spines (total): 12 - 14; Dorsal soft rays (total): 19-21; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 15 - 17. Large mouth with thick lips; 7 preopercular pores; first gill arch without lobe; gill rakers short and thick with many denticles; dorsal and anal fins bases densely scaled; many branched rays; body color dark with bright orange opercle margin and ventral parts of the lateral sides of the body; often a black rounded blotch with orange margin at caudal fin base (Ref. 35237).

Distribution Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Introductions | Faunafri

South America: Amazon River basin in Peru, Colombia and Brazil; French Guiana. Reported from Argentina (Ref. 9086).

Preferably inhabits quiet shallow waters in mud-bottomed and sand-bottomed canals and ponds (Ref. 5723). Feeds on small fish, crayfish, worms and insect larvae. Quite popular with aquarists but not for aquaculturists because of its slow growth (Ref. 35237). Maximum length 40 cm TL (Ref. 5723). A highly esteemed food fish in South America (Ref. 44091).

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator : Kullander, Sven O. | Collaborators

Page, L.M. and B.M. Burr, 1991. A field guide to freshwater fishes of North America north of Mexico. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston. 432 p.

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 90363)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

Harmless

Human uses

Fisheries: commercial; gamefish: yes; aquarium: highly commercial

FAO(Publication : search) | FisheriesWiki | Sea Around Us

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Estimates of some properties based on empirical models

Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82805): PD₅₀ = 0.7500 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].

Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00000 (0.00000 - 0.00000), b=0.00000 (0.00000 - 0.00000), based on (Ref. 93245).

Trophic Level (Ref. 69278): 2.8 ±0.32 se; Based on food items.

Resilience (Ref. 69278): High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Assuming tm<=1; Fec=300-2000).

Vulnerability (Ref. 59153): Moderate vulnerability (36 of 100) .

Price category (Ref. 80766): Unknown.

Astronotus ocellatus (Agassiz, 1831)