Whitespot Eartheater - Satanoperca leucosticta
- In stock, ready to ship
- Inventory on the way
| Care: | Moderate |
| Temperament: | Peaceful |
| Region: | Northeast South America |
|
Max Size: |
6" |
| Tank Size: | 50gal |
| Purchase Size: | 1.5"-2" |
The Whitespot Eartheater is a very unique species of cichlid native to the rivers of Northeastern South America. They have a very atypical cichlid body shape, with a somewhat flat bottom, and a long, straight, sloping nose with a downturned mouth. Mature specimens display a rainbow of colors over their bodies with a base color of mottled green, speckled with iridescent blue or white depending on lighting and angle throughout the body and fins.
Care
The Whitespot Eartheater grows to 6 inches long, and should be kept in small shoals of 5 or more in aquariums 50 gallons or larger. They are a peaceful species, and generally don't show aggression unless breeding. Water quality is important with these fish, as they prefer clean, soft, and acidic water, and may fail to thrive in suboptimal conditions. It's highly important to choose a soft, sandy substrate for this species. As the name suggests, they're known for collecting food by sucking up substrate, then sifting it through their gills and mouth in search of food. Rough or overly large substrate can damage these delicate structures.
Diet
Whitespot Eartheaters are omnivores, and must be provided with surprisingly fine particle food that sinks to the substrate to match their 'eartheater' feeding strategy.