This is one of the most popular freshwater fish of ornamental industry. It grows to a length of 34 cm and weighs around 1.6 kg. They are peaceful with same species but mildly aggressive to other small size fishes and hence should be kept in a separate aquarium. Carnivorous and can be fed prepared fish food designed for large carnivorous fish, crayfish, worms, and insects such as flies or grasshoppers. Sexual maturity is attained in first year and males possess dark blotches on the base of the dorsal fin. They are biparental substrate spawners and lay 1000 to 3000 eggs.  A number of ornamental varieties like albino, leucistic and xanthistic forms have been developed. The patterning of red pigment differs between individuals; in the United Kingdom, one A. ocellatus reportedly had markings that resembled the Arabic word for "Allah". In recent years long-finned varieties have also been developed.