The marbled hatchetfish (''Carnegiella strigata'') is a small, normally in length, freshwater

ray-finned Actinopterygii (; ), members of which are known as ray-finned fishes, is a class of bony fish. They comprise over 50% of living vertebrate species. The ray-finned fishes are so called because their fins are webs of skin supported by bony or hor ...

fish native to

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the southe ...

. Hatchet shaped, it presents a gold line extending from its eye to its

caudal fin Fins are distinctive anatomical features composed of bony spines or rays protruding from the body of a fish. They are covered with skin and joined together either in a webbed fashion, as seen in most bony fish, or similar to a flipper, as se ...

while the area below has a brown and cream colored marble-like pattern (hence its name).

In the aquarium

The marbled hatchetfish is common in the

aquarium An aquarium (plural: ''aquariums'' or ''aquaria'') is a vivarium of any size having at least one transparent side in which aquatic plants or animals are kept and displayed. Fishkeepers use aquaria to keep fish, invertebrates, amphibians, aq ...

industry. Like most Amazonian fish, the species prefers softer,

acidic In computer science, ACID ( atomicity, consistency, isolation, durability) is a set of properties of database transactions intended to guarantee data validity despite errors, power failures, and other mishaps. In the context of databases, a sequ ...

water. As with most characins, they are

omnivores An omnivore () is an animal that has the ability to eat and survive on both plant and animal matter. Obtaining energy and nutrients from plant and animal matter, omnivores digest carbohydrates, protein, fat, and fiber, and metabolize the nutri ...

. Hatchets have a tendency to be shy fish and are easily intimidated by larger or fast moving fish, so they are only appropriate for very peaceful communities or species tanks. The marbled hatchetfish is usually kept in small schools. It is necessary for tanks inhabited by these fish to have a tight lid, as they can jump out when startled. Marbled hatchetfish are egg scatterers and have been bred in the aquarium hobby.

Camouflage

Marbled hatchetfish are adapted to life in the Amazonian rivers as they resemble a dead leaf floating sideways on the surface of a body of water. This

camouflage Camouflage is the use of any combination of materials, coloration, or illumination for concealment, either by making animals or objects hard to see, or by disguising them as something else. Examples include the leopard's spotted coat, the ...

protects them against potential predators that may be lurking in the water. Their marble-like pattern is to give the illusion of rays of light breaking the waters surface and reflecting on the portrayed leaf. The fish itself does not move much, letting the waves and currents move it mostly, but with occasional brief twitching movements. This replicates the way a leaf would be blown around or carried away by the tide or a current. The line running from its eye, to its tail, is believed to replicate the midrib (midvein) of a leaf.

References

* * * Page 46, ''You & Your Aquarium'', Dick Mills, Dorling Kindersley * Levy Carvalho Gomes, Richard Philip Brinn, Jaydione Luiz Marcon, Lucelle Araújo Dantas, Franmir Rodrigues Brandão, Janessa Sampaio de Abreu, Dawn Michelle McComb, Bernardo Baldisserotto. "Using EfinolL During Transportation of Marbled Hatchetfish, Carnegiella strigata (Günther)." Aquatic Culture. May 2008.

External links

Carnegiella strigata
- Atlas Acuavida.com {{Taxonbar, from=Q430284 Gasteropelecidae Fish described in 1864 Taxa named by Albert Günther

In the aquarium

Camouflage

See also

References

External links