Type locality, Pará: Tucurui, MZUSP 92397 (holoype of Cichla kelberi, 27.6 cm SL). Known from the Rio Araguaia drainage and the lower Rio Tocantins drainage. Introduced in reservoirs in Rio Grande do Norte, Minas Gerais and Ceará (as C. monoculus, cited in Chellappa et al., 2003; as C. ocellaris cited in Fontenele, 1948, ); in the Rio Paraíba do Sul (State of Rio de Janeiro); and, the Rio Paraná. Tucunaré amarela was listed from the Itaipu, Porto Primavera, Jupiá, Três Irmãos, Ilha Solteira, São Simão, Porto Colômbia, Volta Grande, Jaguara, Estreito, Promissão, Igaratá and Paraibuna dams in the Brazilian Paraná basin, the Funil and Ribeirão das Lajes dams in the Rio Paraíba do Sul drainage, the Xingó dam in the Rio São Francisco drainage, the Pacoti-Riachão dam near Fortaleza in Ceará, the Serra da Mesa dam in the Rio Tocantins drainage (Ref. 57716).