Peacock Bass vs Red Drum

Cichla temensis comparado com Sciaenops ocellatus

Taxonomy & Classification

Atributo	Peacock Bass	Red Drum
Nome Científico	Cichla temensis	Sciaenops ocellatus
Ordem	Cichliformes	Perciformes
Família	Cichlidae	Sciaenidae
Conservation Status	Least Concern	Least Concern

Physical Traits

Atributo	Peacock Bass	Red Drum
Comprimento Máximo	100,0 cm	155,0 cm
Peso Máximo	12,7 kg	45,0 kg
Cor	Golden-yellow to olive-green body with three bold dark vertical bars on the flanks; a striking black ocellus edged in gold at the tail base; breeding males develop a prominent nuchal hump.	Coppery-bronze to reddish-orange flanks with a characteristic black eyespot at the upper tail base; back is darker bronze-olive; belly pale to silvery; fins match body tone with dusky margins.

Habitat & Environment

Atributo	Peacock Bass	Red Drum
Tipo de Água	Freshwater	Freshwater & Saltwater
Faixa de Profundidade	—	10-?m
Distribuição Geográfica	Native to the Amazon River basin and Orinoco River system in South America, including Venezuela, Colombia, and Brazil. Inhabits blackwater rivers, flooded forests, and large …	Western North Atlantic from Massachusetts south through the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean. Adults favor open nearshore reefs and coastal surf zones while juveniles inhabit …
Habitat	Native to Southeast Asian rivers including the Mekong basin. Warm, slow-moving freshwater with soft substrates. Introduced to tropical aquaculture systems globally. Tolerates wide temperature range …	Estuaries

Informações de Pesca

Atributo	Peacock Bass	Red Drum
Peixe Esportivo	Sim	Sim
Classificação de Resistência	9/10	7/10
Recorde Mundial	—	—
Nível de Mercúrio	—	—

Cuisine & Edibility

Peacock Bass

Firm, white flesh with a clean, mild flavor and low fat content. Prized table fish throughout Amazonian cuisines; excellent grilled, pan-fried, or steamed with citrus.

Red Drum

Firm, white flesh with a mild, sweet flavor and moderate fat; smaller fish (under 27 inches) are the best table size. Famous as 'blackened redfish' — a Louisiana Cajun culinary classic.

Species Overview

Peacock Bass

The peacock bass is the crown jewel of Amazon basin sport fishing. Despite its name, it is actually a large cichlid. Known for explosive topwater strikes and powerful, drag-screaming runs in tropical rivers and lagoons.

Red Drum

The red drum, or redfish, is an iconic inshore game fish of the Atlantic and Gulf coasts. Identified by the distinctive black spot at the base of its tail, it feeds by tipping head-down in shallow water, exposing its copper-colored tail.