Geophagus altifrons | |
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An 1865 watercolor painting of geophagus altifrons from Manaus by Jacques Burkhardt. | |
Scientific classification ![]() | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Actinopterygii |
Order: | Cichliformes |
Family: | Cichlidae |
Genus: | Geophagus |
Species: | G. altifrons |
Binomial name | |
Geophagus altifrons Heckel, 1840 | |
Geophagus altifrons are a freshwater eartheater cichlid, native to the Amazon River Basin, Brazil. [1]
Introduced to Singapore, it thrives in slow-moving streams and reservoirs, where it works as a sand sifter in most environments like most Geophagus species. Its ecological impact on its adopted habitat is still unknown. [2]
A member of the family Cichlidae, it can grow up to 22.5 cm (8.9 in) in standard length. [1] It is benthophagous by nature, taking mouthfuls of substrate (hence its common name) and sifting for edible items, with the remaining materials being expelled via the mouth and gill openings. It prefers clear and blackwater environments as opposed to turbid white waters. [3]
Geophagus altifrons are one of the most common species of Geophagus found in the pet trade, often wild caught and falsely labeled as Geophagus surinamensis within the hobby.
Cichlids are fish from the family Cichlidae in the order Cichliformes. Traditionally Cichlids were classed in a suborder, the Labroidei, along with the wrasses (Labridae), in the order Perciformes, but molecular studies have contradicted this grouping. On the basis of fossil evidence, it first appeared in Tanzania during the Eocene epoch, about 46–45 million years ago. The closest living relative of cichlids is probably the convict blenny, and both families are classified in the 5th edition of Fishes of the World as the two families in the Cichliformes, part of the subseries Ovalentaria. This family is large, diverse, and widely dispersed. At least 1,650 species have been scientifically described, making it one of the largest vertebrate families. New species are discovered annually, and many species remain undescribed. The actual number of species is therefore unknown, with estimates varying between 2,000 and 3,000.
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