| No other sport fish in the world approaches the | | | | temperature and are therefore essentially |
| peacock bass' reputation for ferocious, awe | | | | restricted to the equatorial tropics of Amazonia. |
| inspiring strikes and sheer tackle busting power. | | | | Specimens of this species of peacock bass have |
| The peacock behaves like an aggressive | | | | been caught as large as 27 pounds by anglers. |
| largemouth bass on steroids with a really bad | | | | Reports of commercially caught fish of over 35 |
| attitude. When a peacock decides to strike a | | | | pounds have come from the market in Manaus. |
| surface lure, it hits with such power, noise and | | | | There are surely plenty of new records still |
| impact that you have a hard time believing it's | | | | swimming in the vast, relatively unexplored |
| real. It can literally startle an unsuspecting angler | | | | waters of the Amazon. Tucunare coloring and |
| into reflexively flinching and trying to drag the bait | | | | appearance is widely varied through its range and |
| away. | | | | specimens from the same waters can often |
| Subsurface strikes can be no less impressive, | | | | appear to be members of different species. All |
| feeling as though your bait somehow got hooked | | | | specimens have the trademark tail spot for which |
| onto an underwater freight train. The peacock's | | | | they are named, as well as black markings on the |
| violent behavior and amazing displays of sheer | | | | gill plates. Body color can vary from a dark |
| strength seem impossible for a fish twice its size. | | | | brownish green through deep yellow to almost |
| It seems to expend more energy than it can | | | | silver. Three black, vertical bars of varying size |
| possibly contain for the first minute or two of its | | | | and intensity mark their sides and blood red runs |
| encounter with an angler. You'd think that a fish | | | | along their bellies and colors their lower fins. |
| that fights this hard would tire very fast, but | | | | A common color variant, called "paca" displays |
| fishermen quickly learn that even as it comes to | | | | dotted, horizontal white lines overlaying the |
| the boat, there's usually another | | | | pattern on their sides. (It is said that specimens |
| hook-straightening burst of power or line-peeling | | | | with this color variation are even stronger and |
| run remaining. | | | | more tenacious than their brethren.) A second |
| Peacock bass are Cichlids, members of the most | | | | color variation has black connected splotches on |
| highly evolved group of fishes in the world. | | | | the back and a horizontal black blotch along the |
| Hundreds of species exist in both the old and the | | | | belly. In some clear water fisheries, peacock's fins |
| new world and represent some of the most | | | | are streaked with an unearthly electric blue. It's |
| diverse fish in the underwater domain. Many, such | | | | hard to believe that a predatory fish as fierce as |
| as Oscars from South America and the mbuna | | | | a peacock can also be so beautiful |
| from Africa, are among the most popular home | | | | As the rains come to an end in the areas feeding |
| aquarium fishes, while other species such as tilapia, | | | | a river, water levels begin to drop, first in the |
| and are farmed to provide food for our tables | | | | headwaters and then further downstream. The |
| Cichla Ocellaris, the butterfly peacock, has a much | | | | waters recede from the flooded jungles and once |
| wider range than its larger cousin. These peacocks | | | | again become confined in the lagoons and river |
| (called mariposa) are differentiated by three black | | | | channels. The baitfish, and of course their |
| rosettes marking their sides instead of the black | | | | consumers, the peacock bass, return as well. |
| bars of temensis. Butterflies are not only found | | | | During the early part of the dry season, the |
| throughout Amazonian, but have been | | | | peacocks feed voraciously on the fattened and |
| successfully transplanted to Central America, | | | | concentrated baitfish. This is prime time for |
| southern Florida, Mexico and Hawaii. | | | | peacock anglers. After a month of heavy feeding, |
| Although rarely exceeding 7 or 8 pounds, they | | | | they begin to spawn. |
| are terrific fighters, readily strike the same baits | | | | Unlike largemouth bass, which become aggressive |
| and are every bit as aggressive as their larger | | | | and pugnacious when on the spawning beds, |
| cousins. A third species, Cichla Nigrolineatus, (or | | | | peacocks simply gather their young and retreat |
| royal peacock) is found in faster moving waters | | | | from fishermen presenting lures. The optimal time |
| and rarely exceeds 3 or 4 pounds. | | | | to fish for peacocks is the pre-spawn period, |
| Cichla temensis, called "tucunare azul or paca" in | | | | those four weeks or so after the rivers drop and |
| Brazil and "pavon azul or pinta lapa" in Spanish | | | | before the fish get on the spawning beds. |
| speaking countries, are very sensitive to water | | | | |