Oscar Fish Behavior

For an aquarium enthusiast, the Oscar fish holds a special attraction. The reason behind such popularity is the Oscar fish behavior. Every individual who has owned this fish would have one or the other remarkable story about its behavior. The Oscar is a freshwater fish of the Amazon river of South America. Touted as one of the most intelligent fish what makes these fish so interesting are the various unique traits, some of which are 'human-like' that these members of the Cichlidae family exhibit.

Understanding the Oscar Fish

There are the red Oscars, the tiger Oscars, the albino varieties and more to choose from. Apart from their majestic physical appearance, what endears these fish to their owners is their characteristics. Let's understand these fish through their behavior in the following paragraphs:

Has a Mind of Its Own!
Eager to know what is behind the fame of this fish? Well then all that you have to do is to observe an Oscar in a fish tank. Within the first couple of minutes itself you would realize that this fish seems to move with a definite intention. As compared to other fish in the tank, an Oscar displays a sense of purpose in its movements. They do not swim aimlessly or dash around madly like the barbs or the danios.

Affectionate ?... Definitely
The Oscars are known to be able to recognize their owners. They can be considered for adoption as a pet, just like a dog. Probably that's why these fish are also known as river dogs or water dogs. However, before you think of dipping your finger into the aquarium ensure that you Oscar does not take your finger for a worm and makes a dash for it. As a rule of thumb for lowering your hand into the aquarium, fold it into a fist first, then dip it in water and gently open it. Also, do not move your hand too much in the water. Wait for the Oscar to come to you. It might take some practice but with time you will be able to feed your Oscar with your hands. However, ensure that your fingers do not have any soap residues, before touching it. Also avoid touching this tropical fish too often as that may damage its protective membrane and cause infection.

Architect or a Builder?
Did you ever doubt if your Oscar had a secret ambition of becoming an architect? When I saw mine as a kid, the thought did cross my mind once. I would often see my Oscar scoop up gravels and relocate them anywhere he pleased. He would keep 'styling' the fish tank rearranging the gravels and rock work in the tank.

Mood Swings Too!
One aspect of the Oscar behavior to be taken care of is their mood swings. These moody fish do not like change in their environment and are often seen sulking for various reasons. They seem to specifically dislike things being shifted in their water tank. Other than that, changing water in the tank or a sudden change in the temperature of water also doesn't go down too well with an Oscar fish. However, it isn't that it would sit sulking on such changes for days or weeks. It will pick up its spirit in just a couple of hours. In case your Oscar has been sitting at the bottom of the tank for days, it could be bad water conditions or some illness.

Aggression
Contrary to the popular belief, Oscars are not very aggressive. Although they can kill other fish, terrorizing their tank mates is surely not on their agenda. Nevertheless avoid fish that would easily fit into the mouth of an Oscar. Some real Oscar fish tankmates are Bala Shark, Silver Dollar and Jack Dempsey fish.

Breeding Behavior
Oscar fish breeding behavior is just as interesting as other traits of this fish. Determining the sexes of an Oscar fish can be a little tricky as a female can't be distinguished from a male until she has laid eggs. In fact when the male fish himself has a difficult time seeing the thorn-shaped organ around the anal opening of a female, what chance do you think we stand in determining the sex of these fish? Oscar fish choose their own mates. In fact it is very difficult to keep a pair together that does not like each other, in the same fish tank. Hence fish breeders suggest that one either buys a pair that has already spawned or gets 6 to 8 baby Oscars and hope that any 2 out of them spawn once they grow up.

Mating behavior can be seen once these fish become a year old. However, successful spawning has been reported only after these fish are 16 months old. Oscar fish have a rough courtship that includes slapping each other with their tails and bodies. After the female lays her eggs, the male fertilizes them. Both the parent guard their eggs and raise their babies together.

It is the Oscar fish behavior that sets this fish apart from all other aquarium fish. One just needs to have one in his tank to understand why people fall in love with this remarkable creature that has all the graceful features of a fish and at the same exhibit certain unique traits that we human beings possess!