Stripefin Eartheater Care Guide
Gymnogeophagus rhabdotus is a striped eartheater cichlid from Uruguay and Brazil that lays eggs on cleaned substrate and tolerates cool subtropical water.
Overview
Gymnogeophagus rhabdotus, the stripefin eartheater, is a cichlid from southern South America. Like its relatives it sifts sandy substrate for food and tolerates cooler subtropical temperatures.
Taxonomy
- Family: Cichlidae
- Subfamily: Geophaginae
- Genus: Gymnogeophagus
- Scientific name: Gymnogeophagus rhabdotus
Habitat
FishBase records the species from the Uruguay River drainage in Uruguay and the Laguna dos Patos basin in Brazil. It is a freshwater, benthopelagic fish of subtropical waters.
Tank requirements
- Minimum tank volume: 250 L (66 gal)
- Temperature: 17-26 °C (63-79 °F); FishBase lists a subtropical range of 20-25 °C
- pH: 6.5-7.8
- GH: 5-15 °dGH
- Substrate: sand for sifting
- Lifespan: 6-10 years
Diet
An omnivore whose common name reflects the eartheater habit of sifting substrate for food. A varied aquarium diet of granular, flake and frozen foods is suitable.
Compatibility
A bottom-dwelling, semi-aggressive cichlid suited to robust tankmates of similar size. As a substrate-sifter it is not ideal for delicate planted aquaria, and very small fish or shrimp may be vulnerable.
Breeding
According to FishBase, females lay roughly 300 eggs on cleaned substrate; after hatching the juveniles are moved into pre-prepared depressions in the ground, reflecting the parental care typical of cichlids.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List: Least Concern (assessed 2020).