Aquarist Atlas
Genus Geophagus

Geophagus sp. "Araca"

IUCNNOT EVALUATED
NEnot on the EX–LC scale
CARESNOT LISTED
Genus type speciesGeophagus altifronsHeckel 1840
Habitat watersoft · 8–29 µS/cmRio Negro
DietSand-sifting omnivore (genus-typical); not documented for this form
BreedingVaries within the genus; not documented for this form
PhotographsSee photosGoogle Images →

Geophagus sp. "Araca" is an undescribed eartheater sold by Aqua Haus Gaus. The atlas files it as a Rio Negro form and holds no description for it.

What's in the name

Geophagus sp. "Araca" — jee-OFF-uh-gus sp. uh-RAH-kuh

Descriptive nameA descriptive epithet — neither an eponym nor a place name.
Geophagus
  • geGreek — earth
  • phageinGreek — to eat; the fish sift bottom sand
"Araca"
  • Aracatrade label — a trade label for a Rio Negro collecting locality; what it refers to is not documented

Taxonomy & naming

Geophagus sp. "Araca" is a trade label for an undescribed eartheater, filed in the atlas as a Rio Negro form. The form is undescribed, and its identity and range are not documented in the sources behind the atlas.

Morphology

Not documented for this form. Genus-level: Geophagus are deep-bodied cichlids with a down-turned mouth suited to taking mouthfuls of sand.

Habitat

Not documented for this form. Genus-level: Geophagus live over sand and fine gravel in South American rivers, where they sift the bottom for food.

Feeding

Not documented for this form. Genus-level: eartheaters take a mouthful of substrate, strain out the invertebrates and organic matter and expel the sand through the gills.

Mating

Not documented for this form.

Breeding

Not documented for this form. Genus-level: reproductive mode varies within Geophagus, with some species mouthbrooding and others laying on a surface.

In the aquarium

Aqua Haus Gaus lists the fish in 4.5–6 in lots. Genus-typical care applies: a roomy tank with a deep, soft sand bed, which the fish sift constantly.

Conservation

An undescribed form has no IUCN category, and none is claimed here. Population and range data for it are not documented in the atlas's sources.

Common questions

Geophagus sp. "Araca": where does it come from?
It is recorded from Brazil.

On lists: Soft-water fish · Blackwater fish

Related species compared · Geophagus

SpeciesAdult sizeTemperaturepHHardnessIUCN
Geophagus sp. "Araca"this species————NE
Geophagus winemilleri8 in SL79–86 °FpH 4–7—LC
Geophagus dicrozoster8 in SL79–86 °FpH 6–7.5—LC
Geophagus abalios8 in SL79–90 °FpH 4–7—LC
Geophagus altifrons10.5 in TL79–90 °FpH 4.8–6.6up to 89 ppmLC
Silverspotted eartheaterGeophagus argyrostictus9.5 in TL82–86 °FpH 6–7.5up to 179 ppmLC
Geophagus brachybranchus10 in TL79–86 °FpH 5–7up to 357 ppmLC
Geophagus brasiliensis11 in TL63–82 °FpH 6–889–179 ppmLC
Brokopondo eartheaterGeophagus brokopondo5 in SL75–86 °FpH 5.5–7—LC
Oyapock eartheaterGeophagus camopiensis10 in SL77–91 °FpH 6–7.536–214 ppmLC
Panamanian eartheaterGeophagus crassilabris9.5 in TL77–86 °FpH 6.5–7.8—LC
Yellow-cheek geophagusGeophagus crocatus6.5 in SL77–91 °FpH 4.1–7.1—LC

Recorded ranges from each species’ own page; hardness is the tolerance its sources give, not a measurement of the water it lives in. See all 38 Geophagus species →

Also from the Rio Negro

Sources

  1. Aqua Haus Gaus trade listing: geophagus-sp-araca-12-15cm

Last reviewed 2026-10-05.

How to cite

Aquarist Atlas (2026). Geophagus sp. "Araca". Aquarist Atlas. https://www.aquaristatlas.com/species/geophagus-sp-araca/

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