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catalog Cichlidae · omnivore

maroni eartheater

Geophagus harreri

Freshwateressential profile

Current-loving cará from the Marowijne (Maroni) River, between French Guiana and Suriname, up to 18 cm. It has commercial fishing and is used in the aquarium trade.

Also called: cará-do-maroni, cará, maroni eartheater

Scientific illustration of Maroni eartheater
maximum
18 cm
overview

who is the maroni eartheater

The Maroni cará is a freshwater cichlid, reaching 18.3 cm. It lives in the Marowijne River, or Maroni, on the border between French Guiana and Suriname, which gives it its common name. It belongs to the Geophagus group of cará, which sift the bottom for food. It usually appears downstream of waterfalls, in shallow sunny stretches with moderate to strong current. It is caught for sale and for the aquarium. It poses no danger to anglers.

Essential profile. Identification, where it occurs and rules, with data from FishBase and the cited regulations. Season, time of day, technique and bait are added once we have a good source for the maroni eartheater; in the meantime, see the similar species.

how to recognize it

identification

Cará with a cichlid body and a protractile mouth for sifting the bottom, typical of Geophagus. The difference from the acará tinga, which lives in the same waters, lies in habitat: this species prefers moderate to strong current, while the other stays in calm channels with mud and sand. It reaches 18.3 cm.

how maroni eartheater fishing looks

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Each card shows the day's index (0 to 100) and, below it, a strip with the index for each hour, from 0h to 23h. from poor to excellent.

Essential profile: the index uses a general fish model (weather, sun, moon and tide), without a season or time of day specific to this species.

distribution

where found

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Marowijne (Maroni) River, between French Guiana and Suriname. Does not occur in Brazil.

Habitat: Shallow, sunny river stretches below waterfalls, with moderate to strong current.

what the law says

rules for the maroni eartheater

Summary of the regulations we found, with the source for each. Rules change; before keeping or transporting fish, check with the state environmental agency.

We found no species-specific rule beyond the region's general rules.

catch and release
catch and release Releasing the fish alive, quickly and with a wet hand. During a closed season it isn't always allowed: what the regulation says applies.

Current fish: hold it with wet hands, remove the hook and release it back into the current.

calculator

how much it weighs without taking it out of the water

Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.02042, b = 3.02; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa pelo gênero e formato do corpo)). It's an average: a fat or lean fish can vary by 10% to 20%.

estimated weight

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sources and references

Essential profile: size, length-weight, depth, countries and conservation come from FishBase and the cited regulations, and the texts were written from those sources. Season, time of day, sensitivities, technique and baits and lures are not included yet, because we did not find a good source for this species.

  1. scientific FishBase: Geophagus harreri (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
  2. scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Geophagus harreriNames by country and language.
don't confuse

similar species