Guide inFish marketed in Monte Alegre
Tucunaré
Cichla monoculus
Agassiz, 1831
Family:Cichlid
Popular Names: Yellow peacock bass.
Size: Large size, can reach up to 70 cm and weigh 9 kg.
Biology
It is a carnivorous species, feeds basically on fish and shrimp. This fish is quite fast, aggressive and strong. It is also very sedentary, not performing migrations. It has daytime habits. It reaches sexual maturity at about 32 centimeters. The reproduction of this species occurs through the formation of couples, where they look for slow sites and build nests for spawning, which varies from 4,000 to 10,000 adherent eggs. Tucunaré is a fish that takes care of its offspring. This parental process takes place during the period of up to two months, when the fry (chicks) reach about 6 centimeters.
Morphology
It is a fish with scales, with an elongated and somewhat compressed body. Its coloration is yellowish, with greenish, bluish tones and black and vertical spots regularly distributed throughout the body. All adult peacock bass have a round spot (ocellus) on the caudal peduncle. In the fry phase, they do not have an eyelet on the tail, they only have a longitudinal spot throughout the body.
Habitat
They inhabit rivers, lakes, dams and dams. It is a kind of bottom and half water (benthopelagic) and tropical climate. Optimum temperature range between 24 to 27°C.
Geographic distribution
Peacock bass are distributed in South America, in Guyana, French Guiana, Suriname and Brazil (Amazon basin, Midwest and Southeast).
potential for cultivation
It is a species that has great potential in aquaculture. One of the advantages of cultivating Tucunaré is its great importance for sport fishing, as it is a very voracious species during the hooking of the bait, which makes it very targeted for creations in fishing and grazing. One of the difficulties encountered in the cultivation of this species is its eating habits, which are predominantly carnivorous. In addition to this obstacle, there is also cannibalism, the use of inappropriate strategies and the lack of a quality commercial feed that meets all nutritional requirements.