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Characins
/ Gasteropelecidae / Silver Hatchetfish
Silver Hatchetfish
Thoracocharax securis | Pictures
Synonyms: Gasteropelecus
securis, G. stellatus, Thoracocharax pectorosus, T. stellatus
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 to white 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. A green to yellow vertical stripe extends
from the gill cover to the base of the tail.
Size/Length: To 3.5" (9 cm)
Similar species: Silver Hatchetfish (
Gasteropelecus levis ), Common Hatchetfish (
Gasteropelecus sternicla
)
Habitat: South America; lakes, swamps, and ponds with heavy vegetation in the Lower Amazon
Basin.
This species is also said to inhabit shallow, fast flowing streams.
S: Top
Aquarium: 28" (71 cm) or 20 gallons (75 L).
This Hatchetfish requires the usual
Hatchetfish set-up, but it also needs a good air supply.
Water chemistry: pH 5.8-7.5 (6.7); 4-15 dH (8); 73-86°F (23-30°C)
Social behavior: A peaceful community fish.
Combine with fish of lower swimming levels.
Suggested companions: See the Hatchetfish family introduction
FOOD: Live; mosquito larvae, bloodworms, glassworms,
Drosophila ,
Daphnia , Brine Shrimp,
Tubifex ;
flake foods
Sexual differences: Unknown
Breeding techniques: Unsuccessful
Breeding potential: 10. No reports of this Hatchetfish spawning in captivity have been made public.
Remarks: This Hatchetfish can leave the water and fly for up to 9 feet (2.74 m).
Difficulty of care: 5.
A somewhat sensitive fish.
Once it is acclimated, it 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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