Oscar fish belong to the cichlid family. They are also known as tiger oscar, velvet cichlid, and marble cichlid.
They are a tropical freshwater fish native to the Amazon basin in South America. They average 11-12 inches long and can weigh 3 pounds.
I had an oscar a few years ago and he was so much fun. He was constantly rearranging his tank. I would watch him pick up small rocks in his mouth and move them to the other end of his tank. One time, I put a huge rock in there for decoration. This rock was half his size and he still managed to move it around!
These are intelligent fish. Most fish ignore what goes on outside of their tanks, but oscars will actually pay attention to you. Mine would get excited and swim back and forth to get my attention. I assume he was begging for food as he always loved to eat!
Here’s a picture of my oscar!
