While the spotted bass was previously considered a different subspecies of the Peacock Bass, it has since been classified as the same species as the Speckled Peacock Bass.

The Spotted Peacock Bass are known as pavon in Venezuela and Colombia or tucunare in Brazil and Peru in the rivers and tributaries of the Amazon Basin through the Amazon and Orinoco watersheds.

While four distinct species are generally recognized, some fish biologists suggest that a dozen or more varieties might actually exist throughout South America. In North America, mainly the southern United States, Peacock Bass were introduced in the 1950s and referred to as bass, though the Spotted Bass has not been introduced to the United States.

The Speckled Peacock, Blackstripe Peacock and Butterfly Peacock were all introduced to the United States with varied success with some species dying off and others dominating the local waterways.

The Spotted Peacock Bass is considered the same species as the Speckled Peacock Bass even though it has a very distinct colour pattern.

While the spotted bass was previously considered a different subspecies of the Peacock Bass, it has since been classified as the same species as the Speckled Peacock Bass, and as a result, we keep it as a separate fish at BassFishing Gurus.com.

However, all the techniques for the Speckled Peacock Bass are obviously the same, though the distribution is slightly different. If you come across a spotted peacock bass/pavon, send us a pic and let us know where you caught it so we can update our information.

While the speckled peacock bass was introduced in south Florida at the same time as the butterfly peacock, there are reports that none survived in Florida. We do not have any reports of the Spotted bass being introduced to US waterways.

The Speckled Peacock bass is native to the Amazon Basin in Rio Negro and Rio Uatuma systems and in the Orinoco basin in Venezuela and Colombia. It was subsequently introduced to the United States in 1985 through Florida and Texas. It is considered the most important fish for visiting anglers to the Amazon and Orinoco waterways.