Eartheater

About

Found in the river systems of northwestern Colombia and the Lake Maracaibo drainage in Venezuela, Geophagus steindachneri is one of those cichlids that rewards patient keepers with genuinely interesting behavior. Outside of breeding season, this eartheater is reasonably calm by cichlid standards, but males shift dramatically when reproductive instincts kick in. Becoming assertive, territorial, and highly focused on establishing dominance over other males. For that reason, most experienced keepers recommend a single male paired with a group of three or more females, which helps spread any aggression around rather than letting it fixate on one individual. Upper-water characins make sensible tankmates, while other bottom-dwelling or territorial fish are a recipe for conflict. The breeding strategy is fascinating: males are polygamous, courting females in sequence, with egg fertilization happening in an unusual mouth-to-mouth fashion before the female takes sole responsibility for incubating the eggs. She broods the eggs for nearly two weeks, and the fry will continue returning to her mouth for protection even after they are free-swimming. The species also shows interesting geographic color variation, and some locality forms have circulated in the trade under the old synonym Geophagus hondae. With a potential lifespan pushing into the teens, this is a serious long-term commitment.