Geophagus neambi

Overview

Geophagus neambi is a social Tocantins sand sifter whose eight or nine flank bars become most apparent during stress or reproduction. Usually peaceful, it deposits eggs before mouthbrooding them and later protects young released for feeding.

Distribution & habitat

Records center on the middle and upper Tocantins in Brazil, to which the species may be endemic. Aquarium collections reportedly come from the Das Mortes basin near Nova Xavantina in Mato Grosso.

Detailed habitat preferences are inferred largely from relatives: gentle sandy or muddy margins near shores and islands, with wood, rocks, and leaves. Sandbank research has recorded the fish under an earlier identification.

Aquarium setup

Allow at least a 180 by 60 cm footprint for a group. Fine, soft sand is essential; coarse gravel can impair feeding or cause injury. Subdued light, roots, wood, and flat stones provide suitable structure.

Avoid excessive leaf debris, which browsing fish stir into filtration equipment. Use mature biological processing and fine-particle removal while excluding sand from pumps. Weekly changes of at least 50–70% support stable quality without strong direct currents.

Diet & feeding

The genus sifts substrate for small invertebrates, seeds, and organic material. Offer fine quality dry products, some containing plant ingredients, with bloodworms, tubifex, brine shrimp, and similar small foods.

Three or four modest daily portions are preferable to a large meal. Adults still need fine food, and rising to feed does not remove their need for sand.

Behaviour & compatibility

Keep at least five to eight. Hierarchies develop within loose groups, while inadequate numbers can produce nervousness or concentrated bullying. Choose peaceful companions with matching needs, avoiding territorial bottom dwellers and harder-water fishes.

Sexual dimorphism

Reliable external distinctions are lacking except for the visible female ovipositor during spawning.

Breeding

Repeated captive reproduction is known, with oral care beginning during the egg stage. Allow juvenile groups to pair naturally; maturity takes at least about a year.

Pairs clean and defend rock, wood, or glass. Females lay successive batches for fertilization, totaling up to roughly 200 eggs, and usually collect them first. Male involvement varies and may include taking over after excluding the female.

Later care may be shared or alternate through whole-brood exchanges. At 25–28 °C, fry become free-swimming at about eight to eleven days of age. Parents extend feeding excursions progressively and recall the young when threatened. Fine prepared foods, brine-shrimp nauplii, and microworms are accepted. Protect released fry from other community residents.

Notes

The third bar contains the side spot and divides above and below it, while more posterior bars may also fork. Earlier Tocantins- or Areões-based trade labels should be checked against the formal species name.