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Gold-spotted halfbeak

Hemirhamphodon chrysopunctatus

Also known as Chrysopunctatus halfbeak

FreshwaterFish

Gold-spotted halfbeak (Hemirhamphodon chrysopunctatus)
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Care at a glance

Temperature
73–81°F
23–27°C
pH
4.5–6.5
Adult size
2.6 in
6.5 cm
Minimum tank
14 gal
54 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Social
Swim level
Top
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
Livebearer · Medium
Rarity
Rare
Family
Zenarchopteridae
Origin
Bornean blackwater streams

Overview

The gold-spotted halfbeak is a needle-bodied fish that hangs just below the surface film to watch for prey. It is peaceful and best with a little experience.

Did you know

A female gold-spotted halfbeak does not release one large brood. She carries and delivers just a few big, well-developed fry at a time, so a single litter can trickle out over several days.

Caring for the gold-spotted halfbeak

Gold-spotted halfbeaks need a planted, well-covered tank of 14 gal (54 L) or larger. Driftwood, leaf litter, dim light and floating plants for cover recreate their tannin-stained home.

Give them soft, acidic water at 73 to 81°F (23 to 27°C) and a pH of 4.5 to 6.5. Keep the flow gentle, the surface calm and the water clean and stable.

These halfbeaks are surface insectivores, so feed small floating and surface foods. Fruit flies, mosquito larvae, daphnia and small live or frozen insects all suit them, along with fine floating dried foods.

Keep a small group with more females than males, since males display and jostle at the surface. They are peaceful and belong with calm tank mates that swim lower and leave the top to them. Avoid large, fast or nippy fish.

Males show the brightest gold flecks along the body. Gold-spotted halfbeaks are livebearers, and breeding them is of moderate difficulty.

Good to know

Hemirhamphodon chrysopunctatus belongs to the halfbeak family Zenarchopteridae. Its species name means gold-spotted, for the gold flecks scattered along its body.

In the wild

The gold-spotted halfbeak is a blackwater fish from the soft, slow, acidic streams and swamps of Central Kalimantan, Borneo. It lives around Sebangau and in the Barito and Mentaya drainages.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The gold-spotted halfbeak is a peaceful, social species that keeps to the top. These picks share a community profile with it, are safe together in both directions, and overlap on water type, temperature and pH.

Check the full mix in the stocking calculator

Common questions

What size tank does a gold-spotted halfbeak need?

A gold-spotted halfbeak needs at least 14 gal (54 L). It spends most of its time in the top.

What temperature and pH does a gold-spotted halfbeak need?

A gold-spotted halfbeak is comfortable at 73–81°F (23–27°C) with a pH of 4.5–6.5.

What does a gold-spotted halfbeak eat?

A gold-spotted halfbeak is a surface insectivore that eats small floating foods. Fruit flies, mosquito larvae, daphnia and small live or frozen insects suit it, along with fine floating dried foods.

How big does a gold-spotted halfbeak get?

An adult gold-spotted halfbeak reaches about 2.6 in (6.5 cm).

How can you tell a male gold-spotted halfbeak from a female?

Males carry the brightest gold flecks on the body.

How does a gold-spotted halfbeak breed?

A gold-spotted halfbeak is a livebearer, so it gives birth to fry rather than laying eggs. Breeding it is of moderate difficulty.

Related species