The humphead eartheaters, or the ‘Geophagus‘ steindachneri group, have a special place in my affections. A pair of redhump eartheaters (‘Geophagus‘ steindachneri itself) shared a too small 30″ aquarium when I first got back into fishkeeping in rented flats after leaving university in the late 90s. They are beautiful and characterful fish – more outgoing and intelligent than many South American cichlids without the anti-social aggression of most Central American species.
The three species in the group are found North and West of the Andes in Panama, Colombia and Ecuador – quite distinct from the majority of South American aquarium fish from the Amazon and Orinoco basins to the East of the Andes. Like most geophagine cichlids they are adapted for sifting through sandy substrates to find food. Their natural habitat in open sandy-bottomed rivers and streams and the impact of their feeding behaviour on any rooted plants don’t lend themselves easily to exciting naturalistic aquarium design. However, they do share their native range with some interesting other fish that could form the basis for a great biotope aquarium, including emperor (Nematobrycon palmeri) and rainbow tetras (Nemtobrycon lacortei), giant whiptail catfish (Sturisoma), and the Blue Acara and Green Terror related cichlids that now form the genus Andinoacara.
Glass Boxes 