Blue peacock bass (Cichla piquiti)

Image source: Jo's Animal Database
General data
- Main name: Blue peacock bass
- Local names: Azul peacock bass, Tucunare azul
- Climates: Tropical
- Habitat: Freshwater
- Native: South America
- Distribution: Parana, Tocantins river
Classification
- Genus: Cichla - Peacock cichlids
- Family: Cichlidae - Cichlids
- Order: Cichliformes - Cichlids
- Class: Teleostei - Ray-finned fishes
- Superclass: Osteichthyes - Bony fishes
Description
The blue peacock cichlid Cichla piquiti is naturally found in the Tocantins-Araguaia river basins, Brazil, but nonnative populations are commonly recorded in many reservoirs of the Paraná and Paranaíba river basins. In contrast to yellow peacock cichlids, in which species identification is difficult, C. piquiti is easily distinguished from its congeners by its blue-tone body and the presence of five dark vertical bars below the dorsal fin.