# Oscar (*Astronotus ocellatus*)

Canonical page: https://creaturedata.com/animals/oscar  
Data as of: 2026-11-13

The oscar (Astronotus ocellatus) is a bony fish in the family Cichlidae and subfamily Cichlinae. It belongs to the genus Astronotus in the order Cichliformes, class Teleostei, phylum Chordata. Other English names for the oscar include red oscar, tiger oscar, oscar cichlid, velvet cichlid and marble cichlid. The scientific name authority is (Agassiz, 1831).

## Quick facts

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Weight | up to 9 kg |
| Length | up to 70 cm |
| Lifespan | Not recorded |
| Diet | Omnivore |
| Main food | vertebrates |
| Habitat | riverine |
| Young per litter or clutch | Not recorded |
| Age at maturity | 12 months |
| Reproduction | Eggs |
| Conservation status | Not recorded |
| Countries on record | Not recorded |

## Introduced range

The Global Register of Introduced and Invasive Species lists it as introduced in 9 countries, and flagged as invasive in 1 of them. Introduced: Australia, Brazil, Canada, Côte d’Ivoire, Germany, Mexico, Peru, Poland, United States. Invasive: Mexico. Source: https://griis.org/ (CC BY 4.0).

## Classification

- kingdom: Animalia
- phylum: Chordata
- class: Teleostei
- order: Cichliformes
- family: Cichlidae
- genus: Astronotus
- species: *Astronotus ocellatus* (Agassiz, 1831)

Synonyms: *Acara compressus*, *Acara hyposticta*, *Acara ocellatus*, *Astronotus ocellatus ocellatus*, *Astronotus ocellatus zebra*, *Astronotus orbiculatus*, *Cychla rubroocellata*, *Lobotes ocellatus*

## Common questions

### What kind of animal is an oscar?

The oscar is a bony fish. It belongs to the family Cichlidae in the order Cichliformes.

### What is the scientific name of the oscar?

The scientific name of the oscar is Astronotus ocellatus, placed in the genus Astronotus.

### What other names does the oscar have?

The oscar is also called red oscar, tiger oscar, oscar cichlid, velvet cichlid and marble cichlid.

### Is the oscar a cichlid?

Yes, the oscar is in the family Cichlidae and the subfamily Cichlinae.

### Is the oscar an invasive species?

In some places. The Global Register of Introduced and Invasive Species flags the oscar as invasive in 1 country: Mexico. It lists it as introduced in 9 in all.

## Sources

- [Catalogue of Life eXtended Release](https://www.checklistbank.org/dataset/316691), CC BY 4.0, 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life (2026). Catalogue of Life eXtended Release, version 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgzlf
- [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org), per file (CC0 / public domain / CC BY green, CC BY-SA amber, anything else not displayed), 2026-11-11. Wikimedia Commons contributors. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org (each file credited to its author under its own licence).
- [Global Register of Introduced and Invasive Species (GRIIS)](https://griis.org/), CC BY 4.0, 2026-11-13. Pagad, S., Genovesi, P., Carnevali, L., Schigel, D. & McGeoch, M.A. (2018) Introducing the Global Register of Introduced and Invasive Species. Scientific Data 5: 170202. https://doi.org/10.1038/sdata.2017.202. Country checklists published through GBIF by the IUCN SSC Invasive Species Specialist Group.
- [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org), CC0 1.0, 2026-11-11. Wikidata contributors. Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org (data retrieved via the Wikidata Query Service).
- [Wikipedia (English)](https://en.wikipedia.org), CC BY-SA 4.0, 2026-11-11. Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org (text under CC BY-SA 4.0; each block names its article and revision).

Cite as: Oscar (Astronotus ocellatus). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/oscar