Red Head Tapajos Eartheater (Geophagus pyrocephalus)

A medium growing and spectacularly colored eartheater from the extensive ‘Surinamensis’ complex of similar-looking species of Geophagus, the Red Head Tapajos Eartheater gets its name from the vivid reddish-orange coloration adult fish display on the front surface of their face. Originally found in the clear, warm waters of the lower Rio Tapajos in Brazil, the species has become widely popular in the hobby and now is regularly aquacultured for the aquarium trade. A fairly peaceful cichlid, they do best in groups of 5 or more and will coexist peacefully with most fish too large to be eaten. Like all eartheaters, this species requires fine sand substrate so they can exhibit their characteristic sand-sifting behavior as they search for food.