Classification / Names
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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); rhynchitis: The specific name refers to the long snout of the species and is a substantivated adjective, to be considered as a noun in apposition, formed from the noun rynchos/rhynchos (Greek), snout, and the adjectival suffix itis (Greek), expressing possession.
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: Kullander.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; benthopelagic. Tropical
South America: known only from the Oyapock, Approuague (including Kaw), Kourou, Comté, Iracoubo, and Sinnamary drainages in French Guiana.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 14.1 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 90072)
Short description
Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
Dorsal spines (total): 14 - 16; Dorsal soft rays (total): 9 - 10; Vertebrae: 27 - 28. Distinguished from Satanoperca daemon, S. lilith, and S. acuticeps in the absence of well defined dark blotches on the side, and lower meristics (soft dorsalfin rays 810, modally 9, vs 12-14; e1 scales 25-27, modally 26, vs 27-31; ceratobranchial gill-rakers 12-14, modally 14, vs 17-23). It is similar to remaining species of the genus, S. jurupari, S. leucosticta, S. mapiritensis, and S. pappaterra in meristics, proportional measurements, dentition, and general colour pattern, but can be diagnosed from all by fewer scales in the e1 row, 25-26, rarely 27, vs 27-28. Differs also from S. pappaterra in the Guaporé and Paraguay river basins in the absence of prominent black blotches along the base of the dorsal fin, and absence of a
welldefined black band along the middle of the side; and from S. leucosticta (Guyana and Suriname), and S. mapiritensis (Orinoco river drainage) by the absence of white spots on the snout and sides of the head. Its most similar species may be S. jurupari in the central Amazon basin from which it differs in modal dorsalfin count XV.9, vs XV.10, e1 scale count 26 vs 27, gill-raker count 13-14 (rarely 15) vs 16-17 (rarely 14, 15, 18), gill blade narrower than ceratobranchial (vs wider), and generally longer snout (14.3-19.4% of SL, vs 11.3-15.9%) (Ref. 90072).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Kullander, S., 2012. A taxonomic review of Satanoperca (Teleostei: Cichlidae) from French Guiana, South America, with description of a new species. Cybium 36(1):247-262. (Ref. 90072)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-1)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
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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=0.02818 (0.01625 - 0.04888), b=3.01 (2.85 - 3.17), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this species & (Sub)family-body (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 3.1 ±0.4 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Resilience (Ref.
120179): High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (10 of 100).
