# Oscar (*Astronotus ocellatus*) Oscar fish are curious and playful, often swimming around to explore their tank. They can recognize their owners and even come to the surface for food! - **Category:** [Fish](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/fish) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 2/5 · Low - **Also known as:** Oscar Cichlid, Oscar Fish ![Oscar](https://res.cloudinary.com/drieglelr/image/upload/v1771426020/objects/4747.jpg) ## Appearance The Oscar is a robust fish, often showcasing a dark body adorned with vibrant patterns of red, orange, or yellow. Its most distinctive feature is a prominent black ocellus (eye-spot) ringed with orange or yellow at the base of its caudal fin, making it visually unique. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Actinopterygii - **Order:** Cichliformes - **Family:** Cichlidae - **Genus:** Astronotus ## Interesting facts - Oscar fish are sometimes called "water puppies" due to their playful and interactive personalities! - Oscars use their large, powerful mouth to suck up prey and even small stones from the bottom! - Their scientific name, \*Astronotus ocellatus\*, means "star-back eye-spotted" for its tail pattern. - They can recognize their human caregivers, often swimming to the front of the tank to greet them. ## Special abilities - **Mood Colors:** Oscar can change its color intensity and patterns because it helps them communicate their mood or stress levels. - **Master Digger:** Oscar has strong fins and a powerful mouth that helps them dig and rearrange the riverbed or tank substrate. - **Protective Parent:** Oscar can fiercely guard its eggs and fry because it helps ensure the survival of its babies from predators. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 20-35 cm - **Weight:** 0.5-1.5 kg - **Lifespan:** 10-15 years - **Swim Speed:** 12 km/h - **Maximum Depth:** 5 m - **Water Type:** Freshwater ## Diet & Feeding Oscars are carnivores, eating a variety of small animals from insects to fish. - **Primary Foods:** insects, small fish, crustaceans, worms - **Foraging Method:** Ambush ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** Peacock Bass (*Cichla ocellaris*) — Larger fish that preys on Oscar fish. - **Hunts:** Rummy-nose Tetra (*Hemigrammus rhodostomus*) — Oscar preys on smaller schooling fish. - **Eats:** Giant River Prawn (*Macrobrachium rosenbergii*) — Oscar consumes various crustaceans. ## Traits - [Wildlife](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wildlife): Wildlife encompasses all undomesticated animal and plant life existing in their natural habitats. - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Tool Use](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/tool-use): This trait describes organisms that manipulate external objects to achieve a specific goal. - [Longevous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/longevous): This trait characterizes organisms with an exceptionally long lifespan compared to others of their kind. - [Carnivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/carnivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of animal tissue. - [Freshwater](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/freshwater): Freshwater habitats include non-saline aquatic environments such as rivers, lakes, ponds, and wetlands, vital for numerous species. - [Aquatic](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/aquatic): Aquatic habitats encompass environments where organisms live predominantly in water, including oceans, rivers, lakes, and wetlands. ## Collections - [Fish](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/fish) ## Safety **Danger:** 2/5 · Low Watch quietly from a distance and never try to feed or chase wild animals. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Oscar? Look at body shape, where the fins sit and their outline, mouth position, stripes and spots. Young fish and breeding adults can wear different patterns, and aquarium color varieties can look nothing like wild fish. Fish Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Oscar? 20-35 cm ### How much does Oscar weigh? 0.5-1.5 kg ### How long does Oscar live? 10-15 years ### What does Oscar eat? Oscars are carnivores, eating a variety of small animals from insects to fish. ### How fast can Oscar swim? 12 km/h ### How does Oscar hunt? Ambush ### How deep can Oscar go? 5 m ## Where to spot - [Belle Isle Aquarium](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/belle-isle-aquarium-us) — US · Aquarium ## More Fish - [Rainbow Trout](https://www.snappit.app/explore/rainbow-trout) (*Oncorhynchus mykiss*) - [Brown Trout](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brown-trout) (*Salmo trutta*) - [Brook Trout](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brook-trout) (*Salvelinus fontinalis*) - [Lake Trout](https://www.snappit.app/explore/lake-trout) (*Salvelinus namaycush*) --- Source: [Oscar: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/oscar)