Oscar: Where It Lives, Map & Facts

Where the oscar lives – recorded in 3 countries, with quick facts from Wikidata and an introduction from Wikipedia.

Scientific name	Astronotus ocellatus
Group	Bony fish
Found in	3 countries
Continents	North America, South America
Class	Ray-finned fish
Order	Blenniiformes
Family	Cichlidae

Where does the oscar live?

Open-licence (CC0 / CC BY) wild records published on GBIF place the oscar in 3 countries and territories across North America and South America. Wikidata gives its range as: Cachoeira do Arari.

Countries with at least a handful of records (a minimum share of the species’ records, to leave out vagrants and escapes). Records with coordinates only; captive and fossil records excluded.

What kind of animal is the oscar?

The oscar (Astronotus ocellatus) is a ray-finned fish in the order Blenniiformes and the family Cichlidae, genus Astronotus. (Taxonomy from Wikidata.)

About the oscar

The oscar (Astronotus ocellatus) is a species of fish from the cichlid family known under a variety of common names, including Tiger Oscar, Velvet Cichlid, and Marble Cichlid. In tropical South America, where the species naturally resides, A. ocellatus specimens are often found for sale as a food fish in the local markets. The fish has been introduced to other areas, including India, China, Australia, and the United States. It is considered a popular aquarium fish in Europe and the U.S.

Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Oscar (fish) (revision 1381362997), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: lead section excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Quick facts, taxonomy and status: Wikidata Q3442 (CC0). Countries and pin: GBIF.org occurrence records (CC0 / CC BY 4.0).