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.
Compiled by Aquairi from published sources · Published · Updated
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).
Gymnogeophagus rhabdotus Breeding Guide
Overview
Gymnogeophagus rhabdotus is a striped subtropical eartheater from Rio Grande do Sul in southern Brazil and the Uruguay River drainage. Unlike the mouthbrooding members of the genus, it is a biparental substrate-spawner and is reported as easily bred in captivity — easier than the mouthbrooders. It prefers a fine-sand bottom with hiding places.
Sexing
It is best kept and bred in pairs. As elsewhere in the genus, males tend to grow larger; given subtle dimorphism, growing out a group to allow natural pairing is the practical route to forming a compatible pair.
Conditioning
A varied diet within a stable aquarium conditions adults. The genus benefits from seasonal cooling, and this species is among the easier to bring into breeding condition once a pair has formed.
Breeding Setup
- Reported spawning temperatures around 20-25 °C, with the preferred spawning range near 23-25 °C.
- pH around 7-7.5 and hardness around 16-20 in the reviewed source.
- A fine-sand bottom with rocks, caves and driftwood for hiding places.
- A tank of adequate length (about 1.5 m suggested) to support a territorial breeding pair.
Spawning Behavior & Trigger
As a substrate-spawner, the female lays eggs on a flat surface or in a small pit, reported at up to around 300 eggs, which the male fertilises while defending the breeding territory. Both parents then participate in care.
Egg & Fry Care
Eggs hatch after about two days and the fry are moved to a brooding pit, where both parents guard them. Juveniles become free-swimming after roughly five days and can be raised on newly hatched brine shrimp (Artemia nauplii) and powdered food.
Common Challenges
The record lists this species as a mouthbrooder, but the sources reviewed describe it as a biparental substrate-spawner; this guide follows the sources. Historically the genus's reproductive modes have been debated, and rhabdotus is now treated as a substrate-spawner. Providing space for a territorial pair is the main practical consideration.