The Oscar fish (or simply Oscar) is a species from the cichlid family that is commonly kept as a freshwater aquarium species. The Oscar comes from parts of South America – namely the Amazon River basin – though it has been introduced to many areas around the globe. As an aquarium species, there are many different varieties of Oscar fish.
The most common variety is the “tiger Oscar,” which is very similar to the wild Oscar fish. There are also albino varieties (mostly white) varieties, and Copper Oscars has a black head and back but the rest of the body is a bright orange color. While these varieties are sold under a variety of different trade names, they are still part of the Astronotus ocellatus species.
Oscar fish naturally defend their territory, chasing off all other fish that come too close and eating anything small enough to fit in their large mouths!
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