Natural history
FishBase describes an omnivorous diet tending toward plant food, obtained by digging into mud or sand. The native range is tied to the Saramacca, Suriname, and Marowijne rivers of Suriname and French Guiana. Quiet areas near cascades and soft-bottomed canals are included in the habitat account.
Pairs spawn on a flat stone or in an excavated sandy depression. Mouthbrooding and later sheltering of young in the mother’s mouth are described, with parental care continuing for several weeks. Reports of sounds produced with the pharyngeal teeth do not yet establish their communicative function.
