Satanoperca
Encyclopedia
Satanoperca is a small genus
of cichlid
fishes from South America
, where they are known from the Orinoco, Essequibo
, Nickerie
, Amazon
, Paraná
and Paraguay
river basins. They are part of a group popularly known as eartheaters.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of cichlid
Cichlid
Cichlids are fishes from the family Cichlidae in the order Perciformes. Cichlids are members of a group known as the Labroidei along with the wrasses , damselfish , and surfperches . This family is both large and diverse. At least 1,300 species have been scientifically described, making it one of...
fishes from South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
, where they are known from the Orinoco, Essequibo
Essequibo River
The Esequibo River is the largest river in Guyana, and the largest river between the Orinoco and Amazon. Rising in the Acarai Mountains near the Brazil-Guyana border, the Essequibo flows to the north for 1,010 km through forest and savanna into the Atlantic Ocean.-Geography:There are countless...
, Nickerie
Nickerie River
The Nickerie is a river in the northwestern part of Suriname.The river rises in the Bakhuys Mountains and then flows to the North where it forms part of the border between the Coronie and Nickerie districts...
, Amazon
Amazon Basin
The Amazon Basin is the part of South America drained by the Amazon River and its tributaries that drains an area of about , or roughly 40 percent of South America. The basin is located in the countries of Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, and Venezuela...
, Paraná
Paraná River
The Paraná River is a river in south Central South America, running through Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina for some . It is second in length only to the Amazon River among South American rivers. The name Paraná is an abbreviation of the phrase "para rehe onáva", which comes from the Tupi language...
and Paraguay
Paraguay River
The Paraguay River is a major river in south central South America, running through Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, and Argentina...
river basins. They are part of a group popularly known as eartheaters.
Species
There are currently seven described species of Satanoperca.- Satanoperca acuticeps (Heckel, 1840)
- Satanoperca daemon (Heckel, 1840)
- Satanoperca jurupariSatanoperca jurupariSatanoperca jurupari, or commonly referred to as Earth Eater is a small cichlid fish of the genus Satanoperca, endemic to the Amazon Basin in South America. The species does not, despite its common name, eat earth. It whirwles up sand and earth from the riverbed, and seeks out tiny pieces of food...
, Earth Eater, (Heckel, 1840) - Satanoperca leucosticta (Müller & Troschel, 1848)
- Satanoperca lilith (Kullander & Ferreira, 1988)
- Satanoperca mapiritensis (Fernández-Yépez, 1950)
- Satanoperca pappaterra (Heckel, 1840)