Eartheater cichlids are named after the way they suck sand into their mouths and filter it for
small invertebrates and detritus to eat. The Pearl doesn't have such an extendable mouth and doesn't always sift food from soil.
The Pearl Eartheater, named after the blue-white flecks on its scales and also called Pearl Cichlid, is native to coastal
streams, lagoons and tributaries of the Amazon Basin in southeastern Brazil and Uruguay. Older males develop a hump on their head when breeding (above left).
They can change colour with their mood. Males can reach 25cm long. Females are half that size.
They are aggressive when breeding and will protect their young.