Peacock Facts - All about the Peacock Bass

change font size

Some believe that the bass moniker was either tackled on to peacock by Florida Fish and Game personnel that were involved in the early stocking programs, or perhaps an early American fishing tour operator, believing that not many "gringo" anglers would be interested in fishing for a fish called pavon.

In actuality, the peacock bass is not a member of the bass family at all. It is just one of the some 1,600 plus members of the family of fish called cichlids. There are some striking similarities to the largemouth bass however, such as basic body contour, cavernous mouth, ravenous appetite and a strong propensity to attack prey and fishing lures with a ferocity that is more reminiscent of much larger fish. One striking difference, immediately apparent to the first-time peacock bass angler, is that this fish is much more vividly colored in varying shades of green, blue, orange and gold.

"Don't let this ''Fancy Dan" appearance fool you, though" says author, writer and National Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame angler Spence Petros of McHenry, Illinois. (www.spencepetros.com) "The peacock bass is much more aggressive than the largemouth, often pursuing lures or prey larger than itself. Peacocks routinely break lines, shatter rods and destroy tackle that would subdue the toughest largemouth. The peacock bass has evolved as a world class gamefish, one that has learned to flourish in an environment that possesses vast schools of vicious piranhas, giant Amazon catfish the size of Volkswagens, 12-foot long armor scaled pirarucus, alligators and an assortment of other unsavory characters that possess fangs, stingers, toxins and never-ending appetites."

While four distinct species of peacock bass (known as pavon in Venezuela and Colombia or tucunare in Brazil and Peru) are generally recognized, some fish biologists suggest that perhaps as many as 12 or more species might actually exist throughout South America.

A black circular "eye spot" - dramatically rimmed in a fluorescent gold - on the base of the tail fin is a common characteristic shared by all the many subspecies of peacock bass. It is said that this "eye spot" resembles that found on the tail plume of the peacock fowl and perhaps this is the reason that South American anglers called the fish pavon or peacock.

Another unique difference between peacock bass and their North American counterparts is that the largest of the largemouth species are always female, while either the male or female peacock bass can grow to large portions. Actively breeding larger male peacock bass possess a prominent hump on their head, its purpose the source of much speculation, including: a natural weapon used as a battering ram when engaged in battle with other males and to protect fry and territory, a fat deposit that the male uses to nourish himself when guarding fry and not actively feeding or a hormonal induced structure that might make him more appealing to the females of the species.

The peacock pavon or tucunare (cichla temensis), often called "grande," "acu" or "black barred" peacock, is dusky green on the dorsal surface, blending to a golden or greenish yellow on its sides. It is characterized by three black vertical bars along each side, and black irregular patches situated behind the eye on the cheek. This species can grow in excess of 27 pounds. Some biologists believe it is the same subspecies as the speckled version. The IGFA currently groups them together for world-record purposes.

Keep in mind however, that in some regions of South America and Florida, the rosettes are not as obvious as in some clearer water fisheries, making them quite difficult to distinguish from the temensis. In some cases, the markings will be a cross between a bar and a rosette. I believe the most common way to distinguish them is that the butterfly will not have the black, irregular cheek blotches of the temensis species. During my early years fishing for this gamefish, I know I lost out on registering possible IGFA record class butterfly peacocks because I failed to correctly identify them as the butterfly variety. Note how this butterfly peacock bass does not have the Classic appearance often described Found in Venezuela and Colombia.