Also known as
- Tucunaré Azul BR
- Pavón VE
- Piquiti Peacock Bass US
- Azul US
- Tucunaré US
Identification
A robust elongated cichlid with a powerful muscular build engineered for explosive ambush strikes and hard-charging runs in flowing river water. Breeding males develop intensified coloration.
- Grey-blue body with brilliant blue highlights along the dorsal fin and upper back
- Intense orange and red hues concentrated on the tail
- Three distinctive black vertical bars along the flanks whose intensity varies with mood
- Yellow dots scattered along the body and a prominent ocellus at the tail base
Where it holds
- Rivers
Behaviour
Aggressive sight-dependent ambush predator; adults feed primarily on fish (75-85% of diet) with opportunistic takes on shrimp. Holds position near submerged timber, rocky points, and vegetation edges in flowing river channels and reservoirs, exploding out to strike with extraordinary force. Strongly prefers moving prey — static presentations are routinely ignored. Peak activity at dawn and dusk, feeding intensity climbs sharply above 24°C (75°F).
Diet: Baitfish, Characins, Small Cichlids, Cyprinids, Shrimp
How it's caught
Line Fishing
Spinning
Cast large topwater propeller plugs, crankbaits, lipless crankbaits, and jerkbaits to structure and current breaks. Rip-pause-rip retrieves with minimal pause keep the fish locked on — dead-sticks are ignored. Upgrade all hardware to heavy-duty split rings and hooks; stock components straighten on the strike.
Jigging
Work bucktails, rubber jigs, and lipless crankbaits vertically near structure, drop-offs, and deep holes during the midday lull. Sharp upward jerks with fast controlled falls trigger reaction strikes. Most effective when fish drop off the surface in heat.
Live Lining
Free-line a live 10-15cm characin or small cichlid on a 2/0-4/0 circle hook with heavy fluorocarbon leader near structure and current breaks. Let the fish commit fully before setting hard — outproduces lures in pressured water.
Fly Fishing
Streamer
Strip large 12-18cm baitfish streamers and surface poppers to structure and current breaks on 10-11wt tackle. Fast aggressive strips on streamers; pop-and-pause with minimal pause on surface flies. Heavy shock tippet required — fish run hard into cover immediately on the hookup.
