Banded pike characin

Boulengerella lateristriga

Also known as Striped pike characin

FreshwaterFish

Care at a glance

Temperature: 73–82°F (23–28°C)
pH: 4.5–6.5
Adult size: 10.2 in (26 cm)
Minimum tank: 159 gal (600 L)
Temperament: Aggressive
Social behavior: Social
Tankmates: Tankmates with caution
Swim level: Top
Difficulty: Difficult
Breeding: No record
Rarity: Rare
Origin: Rio Negro and upper Orinoco blackwaters
Family: Ctenoluciidae

Overview

The banded pike characin is a slim, fast surface predator that hangs just under the waterline waiting for prey. It is a gregarious fish that does better in a small group of its own kind than alone, which calls for a big, long tank of around 600 liters with a tightly fitted lid, since a startled fish will jump. Treat it as a predator: it will take any tankmate small enough to swallow, so pick only large, calm, open-water fish as company. It often ignores dry food and prefers live and frozen items such as earthworms, river shrimp, and other meaty foods. Keep the tank dimly lit with open surface space and some floating cover.

In the wild

This species is a blackwater specialist from the Rio Negro and upper Orinoco, tea-colored rivers stained by tannins and very low in minerals. The fish patrols slow, shaded surface water among overhanging growth and wood. To match that, use soft, acidic water from 23 to 28 C at a low pH between about 4.5 and 6.5, filtered over peat or leaf litter and darkened with wood and tannins. Bright light and hard, alkaline water suit it poorly, so aim for a dim, soft-water setup with plenty of length at the surface.

Good to know

Boulengerella lateristriga is one of the pike characins, family Ctenoluciidae, a small South American group of pencil-shaped surface hunters. It grows to around 26 centimeters and carries a dark stripe running the length of a slender, silver-gold body, with a pointed snout full of small teeth. It is the blackwater member of its genus, tied to soft acid rivers. Breeding has not been recorded in aquaria, and imported fish are wild caught.

Did you know

Pike characins hunt at the surface by lining up prey and striking with a quick lunge of the whole body, picking off small fish and insects trapped against the film of water above them.