Also known as the Peacock, Velvet and Marble Cichlid, Oscars are extremely popular in the aquarium hobby. Wild-caught specimens of these fish are typically dark in coloration with black, orange-ringed spots on the caudal and dorsal fins. Captive-bred and selectively bred specimens are also available in various colors, as well as tiger and albino strains. In the wild, Oscars are widely distributed throughout Venezuela, Colombia, Peru, Brazil and other parts of South America. These fish tend to inhabit slow-flowing waters in forested areas and seem to prefer white water habitats where there is plenty of submerged and marginal vegetation to provide cover.