Marbled hatchetfish (Carnegiella strigata)

Scientific name: Carnegiella strigata G?nther, 1864

Marbled hatchetfish (Carnegiella strigata)

The Marbled hatchetfish (Carnegiella strigata) is a freshwater fish of the family Gasteropelecidae that grows to about 5 cm (2 in). It is easy to keep and peaceful, suits community aquariums and needs a tank of at least 75 L (20 US gal), water at 24–28°C (75–82°F) and a pH of 5.0–8.0. Native range: South America, Lower, middle and upper Amazon River basin.

Marbled hatchetfish care at a glance

Care level
Easy
Temperament
Peaceful
Community tank
Good
Adult size
5 cm (2 in)
Minimum tank
75 L (20 US gal)
Temperature
24–28°C (75–82°F)
pH
5.0–8.0
Hardness
5–19 dGH (89–339 ppm)
Diet
Omnivore. Accepts flakes, frozen foods and live foods.

Biology

Lives in groups. Feeds on crustaceans and insects. The females have an abdomen which is larger than those of the males. The eggs fall on the bottom or on vegetation and these hatch after 36 hours incubation at 25?C. Aquarium keeping: in groups of 5 or more individuals; may jump out of the aquarium; minimum aquarium size 80 cm.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name
Carnegiella strigata
Family
Gasteropelecidae (Freshwater hatchetfishes)
Order
Characiformes (Characins)
Class
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length
3.5
Environment
Freshwater;; pH range: 5.0 - 8.0; dH range: 5 - 19 pelagic
Climate
Tropical
Distribution
South America: Lower, middle and upper Amazon River basin; south of Amazon; and Caqueta River in Colombia.
Conservation status (IUCN)
Not Evaluated
Threat to humans
Harmless
Uses
Aquarium: commercial

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Sources

Taxonomy, distribution and biology data: FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds.), licensed CC BY-NC 4.0. Aquarium care parameters compiled, checked and converted to metric and imperial units by Guppies.za.net.

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