Classification / Names
Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa
Teleostei (teleosts) >
Cichliformes (Cichlids, convict blennies) >
Cichlidae (Cichlids) > Geophaginae
Etymology: Geophagus: Greek, gea = the earth + Greek, phagein = to eat (Ref. 45335); mirabilis: Named from the the Latin adjective mirabilis, meaning extraordinary, marvelous, admirable, in reference to the unique color pattern that includes the row of black spots on the flanks and the iridescent spots and vermiculations on the side of the head in living individuals.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; benthopelagic. Tropical
South America: Rio Aripuanã drainage in Brazil.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 16.2 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 102658)
Short description
Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
Dorsal spines (total): 15 - 17; Dorsal soft rays (total): 9 - 12; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 7 - 8. Geophagus mirabilisis distinguished from all congeners by having 2-6 black spots in a longitudinal row along middle of flank in specimens larger than 8.0 cm SL (vs. a single midlateral spot or spots absent from flank in individuals of G. altifrons), but spots other than midlateral spot absent in occasional specimens up to approximately 8.0 cm SL; live coloration of adults consists of rich pattern of iridescent blue, round or vermiculate marks on the side of head, unique for the genus; 4½-5½ scales between first dorsal-fin spine and upper caudal fin of adults with only one series of scales on each inter-radial membrane of ventral lobe, not imbricating with neighboring series and not completely covering base ofrays (vs. two series of scales on each inter-radial membrane of ventral lobe, imbricating both with one another and with neighboring rows and completely covering base of rays, in all other species in Geophagus). It differs from congeners except G. camopiensis and G. crocatus by having 7 scale rows around the caudal peduncle below lateral line (vs. 8-11); from G. camopiensis by having a narrower lower lip fold, not covering any of dentary lateralis foramina (vs. broader lower lip fold, covering at least dentary lateralis foramen 1, in some specimens also dentary lateralis foramen 2, by having light horizontal stripes on the posterior half of caudal fin (vs. only light dots) and by the inter-radial scales series on caudal fin not imbricated (vs. imbricated); from G. crocatus by the absence of preopercular mark(vs. presence). The following additional characters are useful to diagnose from subsets of Geophagus species: absence of a dark stripe across the cheek at all sizes (vs. present in G. argyrostictus, G. gottwaldi, G. grammepareius, G. harreri, and G. taeniopareius); absence of dark spot at the corner of the preopercle (preopercular mark) (vs. presence in G. brachybranchus, G. crocatus, G. dicrozoster, G. proximus and G. winemilleri; skin fold covering external gill filaments along first ceratobranchial narrow in comparison with filaments (vs. wide in G. brachybranchus, G. harreri and G. surinamensis; E1 scales 29-31 (vs. 33-35 in G. abalios, 33-36 in G. altifrons, 32-34 in G. argyrostictus, 32-33 in G. brachybranchus, 32-34 in G. brokopondo, 34-38 in G. dicrozoster, 34-36 in G. gottwaldi, 32-34 in G. megasema, 32-34 in G. proximus, 32-34 in G. surinamensis, 33-35 in G. sveni and 32-35 in G. winemilleri) (Ref. 102658).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Deprá, G.C., S.O. Kullander, C.S. Pavanelli and W.J. da Graça, 2014. A new colorful species of Geophagus (Teleostei: Cichlidae), endemic to the rio Aripuanã in the Amazon basin of Brazil. Neotrop. Ichthyol. 12(4):737-746. (Ref. 102658)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-2)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
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Estimates based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.02512 (0.01198 - 0.05266), b=2.99 (2.81 - 3.17), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 2.3 ±0.1 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Resilience (Ref.
120179): High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (10 of 100).
