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catalog Cichlidae · omnivore

panamanian eartheater

Geophagus crassilabris

Freshwateressential profile

Cará endemic to Panama, of rivers with moderate to strong current, reaching 24 cm, and commercially fished.

Also called: cará-do-panamá, panamanian eartheater

Scientific illustration of Panamanian eartheater
maximum
24 cm
overview

who is the panamanian eartheater

The Panamanian eartheater belongs to the family Cichlidae and reaches 24 cm. It is endemic to Panama and occurs on the Pacific and Atlantic slopes of the centre and east of the country. It prefers river stretches with moderate to strong current, with a bottom of small stones, sand, rocks and fallen leaves from the treetops. It lives near the bottom and in the water column, in freshwater. It is caught commercially and also used in the aquarium trade.

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 panamanian eartheater.

how to recognize it

identification

Panamanian eartheater, a cichlid up to 24 cm from Panama, found in rivers with moderate to strong current, over a bottom of small stones, sand and leaves. Its scientific name refers to thick lips. Geophagus species usually stir up the bottom with their mouths in search of food. Because it is endemic to Panama, the location is already the first clue for identifying it.

how panamanian 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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Endemic to Panama, on the Pacific and Atlantic slopes of the centre and east of the country, in rivers.

Habitat: Rivers with moderate to strong current, with a bottom of small stones, sand, rocks and fallen leaves.

what the law says

rules for the panamanian 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.

It poses no danger to anglers, but the fin spines can prick the hand. Hold it by the body, with a wet hand, and release it quickly.

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 crassilabris (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 crassilabrisNames by country and language.