Whitespot eartheater

Care at a glance

Overview

Keep a group of five or more in a tank of at least 300 liters at 24 to 29 C and pH 5.5 to 7.5. Provide open sand, some wood, and gentle tankmates. Feed sinking pellets and frozen foods along with whatever they sift from the sand. It is a peaceful, sociable eartheater that does poorly kept alone.

In the wild

The whitespot eartheater lives across the Guiana Shield in eastern Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, and northern Brazil. It occupies river channels, tributaries, and floodplain lakes over sand and leaf litter. It feeds by taking mouthfuls of sand and sifting out small invertebrates. A deep, soft sand bed is essential for its natural feeding.

Good to know

Satanoperca leucosticta was described by Muller and Troschel in 1849 and reaches about 18 cm. It is covered in iridescent white and blue spangles, which give it its name. Most fish sold in shops as Satanoperca jurupari are actually this species.

Did you know

It is a delayed mouthbrooder, laying eggs on the substrate and then taking them into the mouth once they are ready to move.

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