Satanoperca
| Satanoperca | |
|---|---|
.jpg) | |
| S. leucosticta | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Perciformes |
| Family: | Cichlidae |
| Subfamily: | Geophaginae |
| Genus: | Satanoperca Günther, 1862 |
| Type species | |
| Geophagus daemon Heckel, 1840 | |
Satanoperca is a small genus of cichlids from South America, where they are known from the Orinoco, Essequibo, Nickerie, Amazon, Paraná and Paraguay river basins.[1] They are mainly found in areas with slow-moving waters.[2]
They are part of a group popularly known as eartheaters and feed by picking up mouthfuls of sand to sift out food items such as invertebrates, plant material and detritus (the only exception is mid-water feeding S. acuticeps).[2] They often feed in small groups and one individual may act as a watchman, which will charge an approaching piranha with its mouth open and fins erected. The Satanoperca in the group take turn acting as watchman.[2] Satanoperca reach up to 25.5 cm (10.0 in) in standard length.[3]
Species
There are currently eight recognized species in this genus:[3]
- Satanoperca acuticeps (Heckel, 1840) (Sharphead eartheater)
- Satanoperca daemon (Heckel, 1840) (Threespot eartheater)
- Satanoperca jurupari (Heckel, 1840) (Demon eartheater)
- Satanoperca leucosticta (J. P. Müller & Troschel, 1848)
- Satanoperca lilith S. O. Kullander & E. J. G. Ferreira, 1988
- Satanoperca mapiritensis (Fernández-Yépez, 1950)
- Satanoperca pappaterra (Heckel, 1840) (Pantanal eartheater)
- Satanoperca rhynchitis S. O. Kullander, 2012
References
- ↑ Eschmeyer W. "Catalog of Fishes". California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 2007-04-05.
- 1 2 3 van der Sleen, P.; and J.S. Albert, eds. (2017). Field Guide to the Fishes of the Amazon, Orinoco, and Guianas. Princeton University Press. p. 382. ISBN 978-0691170749.
- 1 2 Froese, Rainer, and Daniel Pauly, eds. (2013). Species of Satanoperca in FishBase. April 2013 version.