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Characins
/ Curimatidae / Striped Headstander
Striped Anostomus, Striped Headstander
Anostomus anostomus | Pictures
Synonyms: Anostomus
gronovii, A. salmoneus, Leporinus anostomus, Salmo anostomus
Physical description: An elongated fish with lateral compression.
Color varies from brown to black with
three yellow horizontal stripes.
The dorsal fin is usually red as is the area on the base of the tail.
Other fins are transparent.
This
fish has a pointed head and an upturned mouth for grazing algae.
In reflected light the scale can have a slight
reddish iridescence.
Size/Length: To 8" (20 cm)
Similar species: Ternetz's Anostomus (
Anostomus ternetzi), Striped Leporinus (
Leporinus striatus
)
Habitat: Along rocky banks with lots of algae of fast moving rivers. South America; the Orinoco
and Amazon Rivers in Guyana, Columbia, Venezuela, Peru, Brazil
S: bottom, middle
Aquarium: 40" (101 cm) or 45-55 gallons (190-209 l).
The tank should have a dark substrate
of fine gravel or sand.
Use a tight-fitting cover as this fish is a good jumper.
The filter should create a strong current
to make the fish more comfortable.
Use strong lighting to promote algae growth.
This fish can be kept in a well-planted
tank as long as it is fed large amounts of "green food" and there is algae to be grazed upon.
Provide
hiding places among rock structures, caves, and driftwood.
Water chemistry: pH 5.8-7.5 (6.5), 2-18 dH (8), 72-84°F (22-29°C)
Social behavior: Should either be kept singly or in groups of six or more.
If kept in smaller groups, fish may
fight.
If kept singly, it does well in a community tank with medium to large fish.
It may nip at long-flowing finned fish
at night.
Combine with calm fish that are not aggressive towards getting food, because sometimes this species
may not compete for food.
This species may be territorial at times.
Suggested companions:
Catfish; Armored Catfish, Pimelodids, Loricarids, Doradids,
Synodontis; Central and South America cichlids;
characins; tetras, piranha (and allies), hatchetfish; Knifefish; Arawana; gouramis; barbs; and Loaches.
FOOD: Algae; vegetable; spinach, lettuce; fruits; vegetable flake food; plants; live; worms,
crustaceans, aquatic insects, insect larvae.
SEX: Mature females are larger and plumper.
Breeding techniques: This fish is commonly bred in fish hatcheries throughout South America and Asia.
Has
also reportedly been bred in aquaria although few details are available.
The diet of the fish apparently plays
a very important role in initiating the spawn.
Breeding potential: 10.
Spawning is very difficult in aquaria.
Remarks: This species swims in head pointing downwards position, grazing algae off rocks and
searching for fallen food.
Difficulty of care: 5.
A hardy fish that requires a tank set-up that includes rock structures.
This fish must be kept with medium to
large sized 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.
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