uruguayan eartheater
Gymnogeophagus australis
Cará from the La Plata basin, the lower Paraná River in Argentina, and the Uruguay River, up to 15.5 cm. It has commercial fishing and is used in the aquarium trade.
Also called: cará-do-prata, chanchita, castañeta, uruguayan eartheater
- maximum
- 16 cm
who is the uruguayan eartheater
The Plata cará is a freshwater cichlid, reaching 15.5 cm. It lives in the lower Paraná River in Argentina and the lower Uruguay River in Uruguay. It stays between midwater and the bottom, in water at 22 to 24 °C. It belongs to the protractile-mouth cará that sift the bottom. Parents carry the larvae in their mouths, like other cará in the group. It has commercial fishing and is used in the aquarium trade. Castañeta and chanchita are names used in Uruguay and Argentina.
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 uruguayan eartheater; in the meantime, see the similar species.
identification
Small, deep-bodied cará with a protractile mouth, like the cará that sift the bottom. In the Plata area it can be confused with other cará, so check size, up to 15.5 cm, and region: this one is from the La Plata basin in Argentina and Uruguay.
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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.
where found
Lower Paraná River in Argentina, and lower Uruguay River in Uruguay. Does not occur in Brazil.
Habitat: Freshwater rivers, midwater and bottom, at 22 to 24 °C.
rules for the uruguayan 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.
River fish: hold it with wet hands, remove the hook and release it right away.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.02344, b = 3.01; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa)). 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.
- scientific FishBase: Gymnogeophagus australis (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Gymnogeophagus australisNames by country and language.
