Geophagus

Geophagus abalios is a cichlid from black and clear water tributaries of the río Orinoco in Venezuela, across the Llanos and south to the Casiquiare. One of the more commonly-traded members of the genus, it is rarely sold under the correct name and usually misidentified as G. altifrons or G. surinamensis. Juveniles are available cheaply because it is one of the few Geophagus bred commercially. Vertically split anterior flank bars separate it from the very similar G. brokopondo.

Geophagus altifrons is a large cichlid from the middle-to-lower Amazon basin in Brazil, including the Xingu, Tapajós, Madeira, Negro and Purus. Despite being the type species it is among the most frequently-misidentified members of the genus, partly because populations from the Orinoco, the Guianas and the Tocantins are now species in their own right. In adults the dark midlateral marking is reduced to 1-2 scales or absent, a feature unique to the species, but juveniles are very difficult to identify.

Geophagus argyrostictus is a cichlid known only from the rio Xingu system in Brazil, including its major tributary the rio Iriri. It belongs to the five species outside the G. surinamensis group, all with a complete infraorbital stripe, and fish over 70 to 80 mm SL develop silvery reflective scales on the anterior flanks. Markedly more aggressive than most congeners, it is a substrate-spawner and does best in a group of 5-8.

Geophagus brachybranchus is a cichlid from the Nickerie and Courantyne drainages of Suriname, also reported from Guyana and Venezuela. Generally rare in the aquarium hobby, it appears to be one of the commoner species in Australia, where it is often called the 'black-throated eartheater'. The largest wild specimen recorded measured 138 mm, but it is known to reach 180 to 200 mm in captivity.

The pearl cichlid, Geophagus brasiliensis, comes from Atlantic-draining river systems of eastern and southern Brazil and Uruguay. It belongs to the 'G.' brasiliensis group, which still needs definitive classification. Colour and body shape vary with locality, and some coastal lagoon populations have evolved a degree of salt tolerance. Fish sold as Gymnogeophagus australis in Europe are more often this species, and non-native populations exist in several countries.

Geophagus brokopondo is a cichlid endemic to the Suriname River drainage in Suriname, first known only from the Brokopondo Reservoir. It is very rarely traded, since collection of fishes for commercial purposes is not common in Suriname. Six solid vertical bars on each flank, the last covering the whole caudal peduncle, separate it from the very similar G. abalios.

The Oiapoque eartheater, Geophagus camopiensis, is a cichlid from the Oyapock basin on the Brazil and French Guiana border and the Approuague. Poorly known in the hobby, it is occasionally available through specialist breeders and retailers. A low E1 scale count and usually seven anal-fin rays are shared only with G. parnaibae, which may indicate a close relationship. A larger lateral marking and light caudal-fin spots separate the two.

The Panamanian eartheater, Geophagus crassilabris, is a cichlid endemic to the Pacific and Atlantic slopes of central and eastern Panama. Rarely traded, it belongs to the 'G.' steindachneri group with 'G.' steindachneri and 'G.' pellegrini, and adults have a more reddish colour pattern than either, especially in the fins. Adult males are aggressive towards one another, and a single male is best kept with two or more females.

Geophagus dicrozoster is a cichlid from tributaries of the río Orinoco in Venezuela, extending to the Casiquiare and the headwaters of the Negro. Commonly traded but rarely under the correct name, it is usually sold as G. altifrons or G. surinamensis, and it is one of the few Geophagus bred commercially. Seven flank bars, the fourth and fifth meeting in a 'Y', and a relatively elongate profile identify it. It appears restricted to acidic blackwater.

Geophagus iporangensis is a cichlid known only from the rio Ribeira de Iguapé basin, on the border of São Paulo and Paraná states in southern Brazil. A member of the 'G.' brasiliensis group, it reaches 90 to 100 mm, a more manageable size than some related species. Juveniles are readily confused with others in the group, but adults are smaller with comparatively few reflective blue scales. It is not common in the aquarium hobby.

Geophagus megasema is a cichlid from the upper rio Madeira basin, recorded from the Mamoré and Guaporé drainages in Bolivia and Brazil. Very rare in the aquarium hobby, it has been collected, bred and distributed by some private collectors. It has no dark preopercular or infraorbital markings, no bars on the flanks and a relatively large, roundish midlateral marking.

Geophagus neambi is a cichlid from the mid-to-upper rio Tocantins in Brazil, to which it may be endemic. It was in the hobby several years before it was described, traded as G. sp. aff. altifrons 'Tocantins', G. sp. 'Tocantins' or G. sp. 'rio Areoes', and aquarium fish are apparently collected in the rio Das Mortes basin. The 8-9 flank bars are normally visible only when the fish are stressed or spawning.

Geophagus parnaibae is a comparatively small cichlid endemic to the rio Parnaíba drainage in Piauí and Maranhão, northeastern Brazil. Only described in 2006, it has been in the hobby since at least 1988, traded as G. sp. 'Parnaíba'. The undescribed G. sp. 'Pindaré' is sometimes labelled with the Parnaíba name but is totally distinct. Maroon and whitish horizontal bands in the caudal fin help identify it.

The yellowhump eartheater, Geophagus pellegrini, is a cichlid from the Chocó and Antioquia departments of northwestern Colombia. The species is rare in the hobby, and most fish traded under its name are forms of 'G.' steindachneri or occasionally 'G.' crassilabris. Its yellowish colour pattern separates it from those two, the other members of the 'G.' steindachneri group. It is an ovophilous, maternal mouthbrooder.

Geophagus proximus is a large cichlid from the Amazon system in Peru and Brazil, from the río Ucayali along the Solimões-Amazon to the rio Trombetas. Rare in the hobby, its name is often attached to shipments of other Geophagus species. It has a dark preopercular marking, no bars on the flanks and a large, roughly oblong midlateral marking. It is found mostly in the lower reaches of rivers and in floodplain lakes, favouring clear and black water.

Geophagus sp. 'orange head' is an undescribed cichlid confined to the lower rio Tapajós in Brazil, including its tributary the rio Arapiuns. Now one of the more readily available members of the genus, it has suffered from commercial breeders who do not cull deformed fry. Two forms exist, one misleadingly traded as G. sp. 'Araguaia orange head', and the orange on the head is most extensive in dominant adult males.

Geophagus sp. 'Pindaré' is an undescribed cichlid known only from the rio Pindaré in Maranhão state, north-eastern Brazil. It appears to belong to the G. surinamensis group and is quite easily identified by its deep head and body and proportionately large eye. The trade name G. sp. 'Pindare' (Parnaíba) is confusing, because G. sp. 'Parnaíba' is now described as G. parnaibae. Parts of the Pindaré have been heavily degraded by siltation.

The red hump eartheater, Geophagus steindachneri, is a cichlid from the Magdalena and Sinú drainages in Colombia and the Río Limón basin in Venezuela. It lends its name to the 'G.' steindachneri group, whose taxonomic placement is unresolved. Colour forms vary with locality, and some appear on trade lists under the synonym Geophagus hondae. The species is an ovophilous, maternal mouthbrooder, and territorial males are best kept with three or more females.

Geophagus taeniopareius is a cichlid from the Venezuelan upper Río Orinoco, recorded from tributaries including the Caura, Cataniapo and Ocamo. Known in Germany as the 'Wangenstrich-Erdfresser' (cheek-stripe eartheater), it has been in the hobby since the late 1970s. A dark stripe runs from the eye to the corner of the opercle. It is markedly more aggressive than most congeners and spawns on the substrate.

Geophagus winemilleri is a cichlid from southern Venezuela and probably northern Brazil, recorded from the upper Río Negro, Río Siapa and Casiquiare. It is rare in the hobby, though other species are sometimes sold under its name. A dark preopercular marking and four ventrally-inclined bars on each flank help identify it, and it may be restricted to acidic blackwater.