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.
Issue
Redescription, based on Peruvian material, in Kullander (1986:147), with bibliography, diagnosis, description, distribution and illustration.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; benthopelagic; pH range: 6.3 - 7.0; dH range: 5 - 10. Tropical; 24°C - 26°C (Ref. 1672)
South America: Amazon River basin, from Peru, Ecuador and Colombia to the mouth of Amazon River in Brazil, in Amapá (Brazil), and eastern French Guiana, also in the Bolivian Amazon drainage except the Guaporé River.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 26.0 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 125983); 23.3 cm SL (female); max. published weight: 469.90 g (Ref. 125983); max. published weight: 469.90 g
Typical of quiet water, occurring in freshwaters of estuaries and coastal swamps. Digs into the muddy substrate looking for food which includes fruit seeds, crustaceans and insects (Ref. 35237). Maximum length 25 cm TL (Ref. 7020).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Ovophile mouth brooders. The parent fish clean the rocky substrate prior to spawning. Incubation takes place in the mouth. Juveniles use the mouth as their shelter for several weeks, where they attach themselves to the palate, by means of a specific gland (Ref. 35237).
Kullander, S.O., 1986. Cichlid fishes of the Amazon River drainage of Peru. Department of Vertebrate Zoology, Research Division, Swedish Museum of Natural History, Stockholm, Sweden, 394 p. (Ref. 9088)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-2)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Fisheries: minor commercial; aquarium: commercial
Tools
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Internet sources
Estimates based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5039 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.02399 (0.01989 - 0.02893), b=3.05 (3.00 - 3.10), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this species (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 3.1 ±0.4 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Resilience (Ref.
120179): Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (22 of 100).
