Astronotus is a genus of South American fish from the family Cichlidae.

They are opportunistic omnivores and consume a range of smaller fish, fruits, nuts, crustaceans, mollusks and other invertebrates in the wild.

A. ocellatus forms monogamous pairs which spawn in the open, typically on a flattened stone or in a shallow depression.

In contrast, Astronotus crassipinnis is seldom exported for the aquarium trade.

In some classifications the Astronotus is the sole genus in the monogeneric tribe Astronotini of the subfamily Cichlinae.