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Characins
/ Gasteropelecidae / Spotted Hatchetfish
Spotted Hatchetfish
Gasteropelecus maculatus | Pictures
Synonyms: Thoracocharax
maculatus
Physical description: Has a convex body.
The ventral fins are very small and the back is fairly straight.
The
wing-like pectoral fins are transparent and often measure up to one-half the fish's overall body length.
The
coloration is silver and the back is olive brown.
The mouth is small and upturned.
Depending on the angle of light, the
colors can change from iridescent green to iridescent blue.
Small black spots dot the body.
Size/Length: To 3.5" (9 cm)
Similar species: None
Habitat: Central and South America; stagnant lakes, ponds, and swamps from Southern Panama,
through Columbia, Venezuela, and Guyana, to Surinam
S: Top
Aquarium: 32" (80 cm) or 30 gallons (114 L).
See Hatchetfish description.
Water chemistry: pH 6-7 (6.7); 6-15 dH (9); 73-82°F (23-28°C)
Social behavior: See the Hatchetfish family Introduction.
Suggested companions: See the Hatchetfish family introduction
FOOD: Live; mosquito larvae, bloodworms, glassworms,
Drosophila ,
Daphnia , Brine Shrimp,
Tubifex ;
flake foods
Sexual differences: Females are plumper during spawning season.
Breeding techniques: Spawning is very similar to
C. strigata strigata .
Breeding potential: 8.
Spawning is more difficult than
C. strigata strigata .
Remarks: This Hatchetfish can leave the water and "fly" for up to 12 feet (3.66 m).
This
fish is prone to "Ich".
Difficulty of care: 5.
This Hatchetfish has difficulty adjusting to a new tank.
However, once established the Spotted
Hatchet is fairly hardy.
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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