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Characins
/ Lebiasinidae / One-lined Pencilfish
One-lined Pencilfish
Nannostomus unifasciatus | Pictures
Synonyms: Nannostomus
unifasciatus, Poecilobrycon unifasciatus
Physical description: An elongated fish with a pale to olive brown back.
A fine, iridescent gold-colored line
extends from the tip of the snout, through the eye and to the caudal fin.
Right below this line is a broad, black
band that also extends from the snout, through the eye, and continues to the tip of the lower lobe of the caudal
fin. A
small, black, oval spot is located on the upper lobe of the caudal fin. The belly is white in color. The anal fin
is black with a white edging, while the other fins are transparent.
Size/Length: To 2.5" (6.5 cm)
Similar species: Three-striped Pencilfish (
Nannobrycon eques), Harrison's Pencilfish
(Nannostomus harrisoni
)
Habitat: Found in reedy shore vegetation usually in shallow parts of streams and small rivers.
South
America; Rio Negro, Guyana; Amazon, Columbia, Brazil; tributaries of the Rio Madeira.
S: top
Aquarium: 20" (50 cm) or 10 gallons (38 L).
The tank should have open swimming areas
with a partial cover of floating plants to diffuse lighting.
The tank should be well-planted and have a dark
gravel bottom.
This species is somewhat sensitive to nitrates and nitrite so perform regular water changes.
These
fish do best in peat-filtered water.
Water chemistry: pH 5-7 (6.5), dH 0-12 (4), 75-84°F (24-29°C)
Social behavior: A peaceful, schooling fish that should be kept in a group.
Combine with fishes of the lower swimming
levels that are non-aggressive.
Suggested companions: Tetras, Corydoras,
Loricarids, Killifish,
Apistogramma, Discus.
FOOD: Live; Daphnia
, insects, mosquito larvae,
Artemia, Drosophila, glassworms, bloodworms;
flake; freeze-dried.
SEX: The anal fin of the male red, white, and black, while the plumper female has a white
and black anal fin.
Breeding techniques: See N.
eques.
Breeding potential: 7. Breeding of this Pencilfish is somewhat more difficult than other Pencilfish
Remarks:
When water conditions are unfavorable, the colors of this fish may fade.
The One-lined Pencilfish swims in an
oblique position.
Difficulty of care: 4.
A hardy fish that can be kept in a community
tank with other non-aggressive fish.
This fish's diet needs to be regularly supplemented with live foods
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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