Cichla temensis, sometimes known as the speckled pavon or speckled peacock bass ("peacock bass" is also used for some of its relatives

Peacock Bass

Peacock bass is the common name in English for a group of closely related species of tropical, freshwater fish of the genus Cichla, native to the Amazon River basin of South America. They also inhabit the waters of Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Panama, Venezuela and parts of the United States,...

), is a very large South America

South America

South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...

n cichlid and a prized game fish

Game fish

Game fish are fish pursued for sport by recreational anglers. They can be freshwater or marine fish. Game fish can be eaten after being caught, though increasingly anglers practise catch and release to improve fish populations. Some game fish are also targeted commercially, particularly...

. Reaching almost 1 metres (3.3 ft) in length and a weight of more than 12 kilograms (26.5 lb), it is the largest cichlid of the Americas

Americas

The Americas, or America , are lands in the Western hemisphere, also known as the New World. In English, the plural form the Americas is often used to refer to the landmasses of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions, while the singular form America is primarily...

, and possibly the largest cichlid anywhere (the African Giant Cichlid

Giant Cichlid

The Giant Cichlid is an East African species of fish in the Cichlidae family. It is the only member of its genus Boulengerochromis and tribe Boulengerochromini. The species was originally described as Tilapia microlepis by George Albert Boulenger in 1899...

 may grow to a similar length). It is native to the basins of the Rio Negro, Uatumã

Uatumã River

The Uatumã River is a river flowing through the state of Amazonas in the Manaus area of Brazil.A tributary of the Amazon River, it is known for its extensive peacock population. ....

 and Orinoco in northern South America

South America

South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...

. Introduction

Introduced species

An introduced species — or neozoon, alien, exotic, non-indigenous, or non-native species, or simply an introduction, is a species living outside its indigenous or native distributional range, and has arrived in an ecosystem or plant community by human activity, either deliberate or accidental...

 attempts have been made outside its native range, but it has not managed to become established in Florida

Florida

Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...

 or Texas

Texas

Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...

. It has been known to flourish in tropical climates like Singapore.