Teleostei (teleosts) >
Cichliformes (Cichlids, convict blennies) >
Cichlidae (Cichlids) > Geophaginae
Etymology: Satanoperca: Taken from the prince of darkness. Hube liked to name cave fishes with diabolic names based on the idea of hell being underground + Greek, perke = perch (Ref. 45335).
Eponymy: Named after the devil, and referring in the case of the blindcat to the species’ underground habitat. Günther’s use of a name meaning ‘Satan perch’ for the cichlids was probably inspired by Heckel (q.v.) having named a species as ‘Geophagus daemon’. (Ref. 128868), visit book page.
More on author: Heckel.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; benthopelagic; pH range: 6.0 - ? ; dH range: 5 - 10. Tropical; 27°C - 30°C (Ref. 2060)
South America: Amazon River basin, in the upper Negro River in Brazil and Venezuela; Orinoco River basin in Colombia and Venezuela.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 20.9 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 137577)
Max. length 30 cm TL (Ref. 2060).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Deposits eggs in a pit and covers them with grosser substrate. The Young find the way out by themselves.
Kullander, S.O., 2003. Cichlidae (Cichlids). p. 605-654. In R.E. Reis, S.O. Kullander and C.J. Ferraris, Jr. (eds.) Checklist of the Freshwater Fishes of South and Central America. Porto Alegre: EDIPUCRS, Brasil. (Ref. 36377)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2025-2)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Fisheries: commercial; aquarium: commercial
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