Redstriped Eartheater
(Geophagus surinamensis)
General data
South America: Saramacca and Suriname Rivers in Suriname; Marowijne River in Suriname and French Guiana.
Max length : 30 cm
Though not so abundant, it is often caught in the quiet zones of cascades with G. harreri. Lives in mud and sand-bottomed canals. 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 fry seeks shelter in the mother’s mouth. Parents take care of their siblings for several weeks.
