Kullander (1986) distinguished A. crassipinnis from A. ocellatus on colour pattern and meristics. Astronotus crassipinnis never shows ocellated spots along the base of the dorsal fin, which characterise western Amazonian A. ocellatus. The bar pattern is variable in both species, but A. crassipinnis is overall darker, and recognised in particular by having the anteriormost light vertical bar more anterior than in A. ocellatus (well in advance of the tip of the pectoral fin) and two more or less well-separated dark vertical bars in the position of the first light bar in A. ocellatus. Astronotus crassipinnis has modally D. XIII.21-22 in contrast to A. ocellatus which has modally XIII.20 and never 22 rays and nearly never 12 spines. Scale counts show considerable overlap, with a variation of 35-40 in A. crassipinnis and 33-39, mode 35 in A. ocellatus. (From Kullander, 1986.)
As explained by Kullander (1986), only two syntypes of A. crassipinnis have been located, both from the Guaporé. Other material was reported from the Rio Negro and Rio Branco and likely represents A. ocellatus or some undescribed species. Until a lectotype designation, recommending a Guaporean specimen, use of A. crassipinnis for the Paraguayan and Bolivian Amazonian species of Astronotus is provisional.
your pic is clearly a tiger oscar
