Devil Fish

COMMON NAMES: Earth Eater or Devil Fish.

SCIENTIFIC NAME: Geophagus jurupari.

DESIGNATION: Tropical

GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION: Brazil.

SIZE: Around 23 cm (9 in), usually smaller.

WATER PREFERENCES: Soft, acid water preferred but other conditions tolerated. Temperature: around 24°C (75°F).

DIET: Most foods, but live foods preferred.

BREEDING: This is only one of the relatively few mouth brooding Central and South American species. Up to 300 fry may be incubated orally for about 2 weeks.

DESCRIPTION: Earth Eaters, as their name suggests, like to root around the bottom of the tank. Very coarse gravel should, therefore, be avoided and rooted plants should be protected.

Devil Fish Information

• The devil fish is also known as the giant devil ray, and eagle ray. The specie belongs to the family Myliobatidae.
• The fish is mainly found in the waters of the Mediterranean sea and the eastern part of the Atlantic ocean that is the south western part of the Ireland and the southern part of Portugal.
• The fish is quite large in size ahs has a spiny tail.
• In wild the fish mainly eats on the crustaceans and small shoaling fish.
• The fish examined to be having very low rate of reproduction. Even though they are not preferred by anglers but most of them die when caught in tuna traps, trawlers, dragnets and such. The dragnets are used to catch the sword fish.
• The fish is also very sensitive to environmental changes. The increasing rate of air pollution is also one of the treats to the survival of the fish specie.
• In the year 2004 the fish was listed in the IUCN Red List as one the most vulnerable species in the world. Later, in the year 2006 it was regrouped among the endangered species.
• The Manta ray fish is the bigger specie of the devil fish. They are mainly filter feeders and mainly live on the planktivores. The fish has a large gaping mouth with cephalic lobes which is used while feeding on the crustaceans of the corral planktonic origin and small shoaling variety of fish as well. Unlike the small variety of the devil fish the manta ray fish has no barbed tail and as a result of which they can hardly defend themselves when in danger of being caught.
• The fish being caught to often even if they are indented not to be caught is because they mainly prefer to swim towards the upper layers of the sea. The fish hardly goes deep below 120 meters inside the sea waters.