Narrow hatchetfish

Care at a glance

Overview

This is a fast, restless schooling fish that needs a long tank of at least 300 liters and a firm lid, since it is a strong jumper. Keep it in a group of 6 or more so the shoal feels secure and stays out in the open. It is peaceful with fish it cannot eat but will take very small tankmates.

In the wild

Cruises the open upper water of rivers, lakes, and flooded areas in large, active shoals. The deep, keeled chest and long lower pectoral fins are adaptations for life near the surface. It feeds on insects and other small prey taken from the top.

Good to know

Triportheus angulatus has a pronounced keel like breast and enlarged pectoral fins, and it reaches around 25 cm. It belongs to the family Triportheidae, a group of open water, surface feeding characins. The silvery body carries a faint dark stripe along the side.

Did you know

The deep chest and oversized fins let it move in fast, coordinated shoals along the surface, snapping up insects that hit the water.

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