OSCARS IN GENERAL<br >POPULAR NAMES<br > The fish most commonly known to American aqua-<br >rium hobbyists as the oscar is also known to them as the<br >peacock cichlid and velvet cichlid. The names peacock<br >cichlid and velvet cichlid are more common in Great<br >Britain and other present and former members of the<br >British Commonwealth ichan they are in the United<br >States， but all three name~ (and a few others， too) have<br > x<br >achieved a degree of currency in all English-speaking<br >lands that harbor aquarists.<br > The name peacock cichlid is descriptive of the fish in<br > that the oscar is indeed a cichlid， and adult oscars indeed<br > bear at least one marking in common with a peacock:<br > the dark spot， surrounded by a circle of lighter color，<br > near the base of the oscar s tail is similar tothe "eye spot"<br > on a peacock s tail. The velvet cichlid name， probably<br > derived from the comparative smallness of the scales，<br > also is descriptive， but to a much lesser degree; the<br > velvety look of an adult oscar， although present if you re<br >inclined to look for such things， is much less evident<br > than the eye spot. The name oscar is neither descriptive<br > nor strictly apropos in any other way..， but it has stuck.<br > I don t believe that anyone knows for sure how a fish<br > like this one had the name "oscar" tagged onto it， but<br > the name has been around in the aquarium hobby<br > almost as long as the fish itself， and that s more than<br >forty years.<br > 6<br > Probably "oscar" is<br >importer of the specie<br >own or is a corruptio<br >local South American ]<br >SCIENTIFIC NAME<br > Originally named<br >Cuvier in the early 18<br >science as A stronotus<br >unlikely to change. A<br >with a star on the back<br >ocellated marking， or<br >have a reference to an.<br >another incorporated il<br >oscar is by no means ur<br >so described is Cichla<br >more noticeable， althol<br >into a big hassle abo<br >ocellus， go ahead. Rea]<br >function of such marki<br >conclusion has been dr~<br >that such markings hav~<br >THE OSCAR S FAM<br > A stronotus ocellatus<br >a group of almost cot<br >mainly in the America，~<br >sentation in Asia. No<br >there are， because new<br >the time， and the geog<br >and American cichlids i<br >for new piscine fauna<br > Cichlids differ widely<br >temperament and breec<br >as the peaceful little ra:<br ><br >