Guide inFish marketed in Monte Alegre
Acará
Geophagus proximus
(Castelnau, 1855)
​
Family:Cichlid
​
Popular Names: Yellow acara, Acará mixi, Acaratinga, Acara-papa-earth.
​
Size: Medium-sized, it can reach up to 34.8 cm and weigh 562 g.
Biology
They are benthophagous, employing a feeding method in which bits of substrate are scooped out and sieved for edible items, with the remaining material expelled through the gill openings and mouth. For this reason, they are commonly called papa terra. The stomach contents of wild specimens comprise mainly small aquatic and terrestrial invertebrates, plant material in the form of seeds and sediments.
The maximum recorded size is 34.8 centimeters in total length in males and 26.6 centimeters in females.​
Morphology
They show sexual dimorphism, males have more intense colors than females, tend to be slightly larger and develop longer fin extensions. Some dominant individuals develop a nuchal bump as they mature.
Habitat
These Acarás are found in gently sloping marginal zones around beaches or islands with soft sand or mud substrates. They also inhabit rocks, submerged tree roots, branches and litter.
​
Geographic distribution
Amazon River Basin, in the Ucayali River drainage of Peru, and along the Solimões-Amazonas River to the Trombetas River.
​
potential for cultivation
It has relevance in ornamental fish farming.
