The peacock bass itself is not real bass. These fish are impostors that truly belong to species of cichlid fish. They like only in form and size to the American largemouth bass.
The fish comes from South America and you know it also under names as pavón, tucunaré, tuc, butterfly peacock, eyespot cichlid and lukanani.
All About the Peacock Bass
You find many different types. After a review in 2006, you recognize 15 species of Cichla. Before people only accepted five species, but nine new ones described here, and C. Nigromaculata was revalidated.
Although the various species like features and proportions, they differ in range and color. The speckled peacock bass is the biggest and can reach 1 meter in length. It surpasses 20 pounds in weight, but in many South American waters you seize around 6 pounds.
The species C. Kelberi is the smallest known and lasts only 18 to 20 inches.
In 1984 you introduced peacock bass in the waterways of south Florida. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission introduced them to control small invasive fish biologically. That helped to balance the ecosystem during the last 25 years.
You released them in the big coastal channels of southeast Florida, but they do not do well in a bit salty water, where saltwater mixes with freshwater. They cannot stand saltwater and like warm water temperatures.
Anglers commonly target these fish. Peacock bass fishing happens during the whole year. Many use big noisy top water baits, jigs and jerk baits to seize them.
Fly fishermen cast streamers for their catch. Unlike largemouth bass, peacock bass usually live in schools, but they move from school to school. In United States the butterfly peacock is the most common species.
It is medium-sized, weighing 6 to 15 pounds. It reaches up to 29 inches in length, although it measures between 12 and 14 inches. Some anglers catch their limit of butterfly peacocks and find that they have more meat than bream or bass.