Freshwater
Redstriped eartheater
Geophagus surinamensis
Cichlidae, Geophaginae
Facts
Characteristics
- Length
- Up to 14.8 cm
- Body shape
- Streamlined
Care
- Group
- Missing
- Smallest aquarium
- 87 liters
- Diet
- Missing
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Behavior
Water values
Smallest tank
Range
NativeIntroduced
Lives wild in French Guiana and Suriname.
Introduced to Singapore and United States.
More about the species
Description
Though not so abundant, it is often caught in the quiet zones of cascades with G. harreri. Lives in mud and sand-bottomed canals. Maximum length 30 cm TL. Omnivorous, with a tendency towards herbivory, searches for food by digging into the substrate with its protractile mouth. Can emit sounds through its pharyngeal teeth though it is not known whether it is a form of communication or not. Spawning takes place on a flat stone or in a hole dug in the sand. Parents generally take the eggs into their mouths until hatching occurs three days later. At night or when faced with danger, the alevins seeks shelter in the mother's mouth. Parents take care of their siblings for several weeks.
Other names
Other scientific names
- Sparus surinamensis
- Sparus trimaculatus
In other languages
- Surinamesisk Jordätare
- Punaevätonkija
- Mother-of-pearl eartheater, Opalescent eartheater
Articles
All articles
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How to add new fish4 min read
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Quarantine for new fish3 min read
Why new fish should live in a tank of their own for a few weeks before they move in, what you need, and what to look for.
Ich (white spot)4 min read
The most common disease in aquarium fish. How to recognize it, why it shows up, and how to get rid of it.