The Most Popular Freshwater Game Fish in Singapore

By David Ho

David Ho is a keen angler with a passion to study about different species of fish

Today's topic is about this popular freshwater game fish species in Singapore that every angler knows about!

A species so popular in Singapore that anglers address it by it's scientific name and not by it's common name! Amazingly weird!

Here it is:

TEMENSIS / SPECKLED PAVON

Common name : 3-barred Peacock Bass Scientific name : Cichla temensis

It's also commonly known as Slender Pavon, Painted Pavon or Speckled Peacock Bass. All these names refer to this specific species, Cichla temensis.

However, Temensis isn't native to our region! It was previously endemic only to Orinoco river and Rio Negro river of South America but had gone global over the last 2 decades! Via human interventions, of course! Weird as it may sound...