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Characins
/ Curimatidae / Headstander
Headstander, High-backed Headstander
Abramites hypselonotus | Pictures
Synonyms: Leporinus
hypselonotus
Physical description: An elongated, tall fish which has an arched back when adult. This fish has large eyes
and a small head with a pointed snout. The body coloration is beige to light brown and marked with seven to nine
dark stripes. The forehead is yellow and so is the adipose fin. The dorsal and pelvic fins are striped and the
other fins are transparent.
Size/Length: To 5.5" (14 cm)
Similar species: None
Habitat:
South America; widespread throughout the Orinoco and Amazon Rivers.
S: bottom, middle
Aquarium: 32" (80 cm) or 30 gallons (114 L).
As for other species of the Anostominae
family.
Water chemistry: pH 6-7.5 (6.8), 2-18 dH (8), 72-82°F (22-28°C)
Social behavior: The young are peaceful and can be combined in nearly any community tank.
Adults
do not usually tolerate others of their species.
Suggested companions: See general Headstander description.
FOOD: Algae; vegetable; spinach, lettuce; fruits; vegetable flake food; plants; live; worms,
crustaceans, aquatic insects, insect larvae.
SEX: Unknown
Breeding techniques: Unknown
Breeding potential: 10.
Breeding is not difficult.
Remarks: This species swims in head pointing downwards position, grazing algae off rocks and
searching for fallen food. This fish may jump when frightened.
Difficulty of care: 4.
A hardy community fish.
Recent articles about fish
Overfishing may hurt Amazon forest trees
(2/5/2008) Overfishing is reducing the effectiveness of seed dispersal by fish in the Brazilian Pantanal, reports Nature. The research suggests that fishing practices can affect forest health.
Scientists find fish that literally lives in trees
(10/17/2007) Scientists have found a fish that literally lives in trees, according to research published in The American Naturalist and highlighted in New Scientist Magazine.
Piranhas originated when Amazon was flooded by seawater
(12/4/2007) South America's piranha family of fish -- notorious as eaters of flesh -- can be traced back to a single ancestor which dispersed when the Amazon was flooded by seawater some five million years ago, report researchers from the Institut de Recherche Pour le Developpement (IRD). Today piranhas are exclusively freshwater fish found from the Orinoco River basin in Venezuela to the Parana in Argentina.
How to save the world's oceans from overfishing
(7/8/2007) Global fishing stocks are in trouble. After expanding from 18 millions tons in 1950 to around 94 million tons in 2000, annual world fish catch has leveled off and may even be declining. Scientists estimate that the number of large predatory fish in the oceans has fallen by 90 percent since the 1950s, while about one-quarter of the world's fisheries are overexploited, depleted, or recovering from depletion. Despite these dire trends, the situation is changing. Today some of the world's largest environmental groups are focused on addressing the health of marine life and oceans, while sustainable fisheries management is at the top of the agenda for intergovenmental bodies. At the forefront of these efforts is Mike Sutton, director of the Monterey Bay Aquarium's conservation program: the Center for the Future of the Oceans. The aquarium, which has long been recognized as one of the world's most important marine research facilities, is pioneering new strategies for protecting the planet's oceans. Sutton says the approach has four parts: establishing new marine protected areas, pushing for ocean policy reform, promoting sustainable seafood, and protecting wildlife and marine ecosystems.
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