Hujeta gar
Ctenolucius hujeta
Also known as Rocket gar, Gar characin
FreshwaterFish
Care at a glance
- Temperature
- 72–82°F
- 22–28°C
- pH
- 6.0–7.5
- Adult size
- 9.8 in
- 25 cm
- Minimum tank
- 55 gal
- 210 L
- Temperament
- Mostly peaceful
- Social behavior
- Social
- Tankmates
- With caution
- Swim level
- Top
- Difficulty
- Difficult
- Breeding
- No record
- Rarity
- Very rare
- Family
- Ctenoluciidae
- Origin
- Venezuela, Colombia
Overview
This is a predatory fish that does best in a group of three or more in a large tank, 210 liters or bigger, and counts as difficult to keep. It patrols the top of the water and can be nervous, so the lid must be secure. Feed meaty foods like live or frozen fish, shrimp, and large insects, and wean it onto frozen where you can. It mostly ignores fish too big to swallow but will eat anything that fits in its mouth, so size tankmates carefully.
In the wild
The hujeta gar comes from rivers and streams in Venezuela and Colombia, often in flowing water with wood and plants along the edges where it hunts near the surface. It is a top-water predator, so it wants length and surface area more than depth. Give it a long tank, a tight lid, and open swimming room up top with some cover at the sides. Soft to neutral water with a pH from 6 to 7.5 is fine.
Good to know
Ctenolucius hujeta is in the family Ctenoluciidae and has the long body and beaky, pointed snout of a small gar, reaching about 25 cm. It is a surface-oriented ambush predator built for grabbing fast prey. Breeding in aquariums is barely documented. It is generally considered of Least Concern in the wild.
Did you know
It hunts at the surface and can launch clear of the water to grab prey, with leaps reported up to around a meter. A loose or light lid won't hold one in.
Common questions
What size tank does a Hujeta gar need?
A Hujeta gar needs at least 55 gal (210 L). It spends most of its time in the top.
What temperature and pH does a Hujeta gar need?
A Hujeta gar is comfortable at 72–82°F (22–28°C) with a pH of 6.0–7.5.
How big does a Hujeta gar get?
An adult Hujeta gar reaches about 9.8 in (25 cm).
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