Satanoperca jurupari
Encyclopedia
Satanoperca 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 amongst it.
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...
fish of the genus Satanoperca
Satanoperca
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...
, endemic to the Amazon Basin
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...
in 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...
. 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 amongst it.