Brokopondo Eartheater

About

The Brokopondo Eartheater (Geophagus brokopondo) is a cichlid from the Suriname River drainage in Suriname, a region not heavily collected for the aquarium trade, which makes this fish genuinely uncommon in the hobby. It belongs to the G. surinamensis species group, a cluster of closely related eartheaters that are notoriously difficult to tell apart, especially as juveniles. G. brokopondo can be identified by six vertical bars on the flanks that are usually only visible under stress or during spawning, a dark squarish lateral spot sitting within the third bar, an elongated sixth bar that runs across the entire caudal peduncle, and a grey-brown tail fin with pale spots arranged in roughly four vertical lines. Outside of spawning periods this fish is considerably more peaceful than its listed temperament might imply, posing little threat to tankmates too large to swallow. It is a social species that naturally lives in loose groups, and keeping a group of five to eight individuals is strongly recommended. Smaller groups can lead to weaker fish being harassed relentlessly by dominant individuals, or the whole group remaining skittish and unsettled. Best avoided as tankmates are aggressive bottom-dwellers or species needing hard water. Captive breeding has not been documented, so its reproductive strategy within the mouthbrooding G. surinamensis group remains unconfirmed.