Geophagus | |
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Geophagus altifrons | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Actinopterygii |
Order: | Cichliformes |
Family: | Cichlidae |
Subfamily: | Cichlinae |
Tribe: | Geophagini |
Subtribe: | Geophagina |
Genus: | Geophagus Heckel, 1840 |
Type species | |
Geophagus altifrons Heckel, 1840
|
Geophagus is a genus of cichlids that mainly live in South America as far south as Argentina and Uruguay, but a single species, G. crassilabris is from Panama.[1][2] They are found in a wide range of freshwater habitats.[3] They are part of a group popularly known as eartheaters and mostly feed by picking up mouthfuls of sediment to sift out food items such as invertebrates, plant material and detritus.[3] The largest species reach up to 28 cm (11 in) in standard length.[3] They are mostly kept in aquariums.[4]