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Encyclopedia / Cichlids / Demon eartheater
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Variations

1 kinds · tap one for a closer look

Demon eartheater

Satanoperca jurupari · Satanoperca jurupari, Jurupari

Peaceful but males fight; adults eat very small fish.

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25 cmBody length, without tail ✓
20–28 °CTemperature ✓
5.5–7.5pH ✓
756 LSmallest tank ✓
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Tank mates
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Not recommended
  • Demon eartheater eats animals up to about 4 cm. Neon tetra only grows to 2.5 cm.
Not recommended
  • Demon eartheater eats animals up to about 4 cm. Cardinal tetra only grows to 3 cm.
Not recommended
  • Demon eartheater eats animals up to about 4 cm. Black neon tetra only grows to 3.2 cm.
With conditions
  • Only a narrow pH range suits both: exactly 7.5.
With conditions
  • Only a narrow temperature range suits both: 27–28 °C.
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible

393 species in our list are a good match.

Facts checked against sources on 16 Oct 2026. ✓ means a source backs it; ? means no reliable source yet. See sources

Care and water

Hardness ✓2–12 dGH
Group size ✓5 or more
Temperament ✓Peaceful
Swims at ✓Bottom
Care level ✓Hard
Diet Omnivore
Lifespan ?Unknown
Size in shops 5–8 cm
Growth Medium

Behavior

Peaceful but males fight; adults eat very small fish.

  • sand

Food

Pellets, bloodworms and daphnia.

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Male or female

Hard to sex: adult females grow slightly smaller than males and look deeper-bodied when full of eggs.

Health

Common problems. Tap one to see the signs. This is a guide, not a diagnosis.

Breeding

Mouthbrooder · Hard

Ovophilous maternal mouthbrooder: the pair spawns on a cleaned solid surface and the female picks up the eggs straight after fertilisation and broods them; fry later shelter in her mouth.

Pairing

Keep a group of 6 and let a pair form, or one male with several females.

Setup

A 300 L tank with a sponge or gentle filter, fine sand to sift, a few rocks and open swimming space.

What starts it

Clean warm water, big regular water changes and varied protein foods.

Eggs

Eggs are laid in small batches until the female is carrying several hundred. No hatch time found.

Raising the fry

The brooding parent holds eggs and fry, releasing them at about 1 cm; feed newly hatched brine shrimp.

Common mistakes
  • Coarse or sharp substrate
  • Stressing the brooding fish
  • Infrequent water changes
Full breeding guide, day-by-day plan and simulator →

Where it lives in the wild

RegionAmazon basin and Guianas
Rivers and lakesAmazon tributaries in Brazil, Peru, Colombia and Bolivia
HabitatSandy river bottoms
Native rangeAbout 1,500 km across
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The story of the demon eartheater

The demon eartheater, a sand-sifting cichlid of the Amazon basin. Its name comes from the Tupi 'jurupari', a forest demon. It is often confused with the farmed S. leucosticta, which has white markings on the head.

Heckel described this eartheater in 1840, originally in Geophagus. It is a peaceful fish that sifts sand for food. It broods eggs in its mouth after they hatch.

First described by Johann J. Heckel in 1840. Named for Named after Jurupari, a spirit in Amazonian folklore.

  • It is a delayed mouthbrooder, picking up eggs after hatching.
  • It filters sand through its gills.
  • Adults reach about 25 cm.

Sources

16 facts checked with sources