Humphead glassfish

Care at a glance

Overview

Keep a group of eight or more in a tank of 120 litres or larger at 23 to 27 C with a neutral pH of 7.0 to 7.5 and brisk, oxygen rich flow. Groups spread out any minor territorial sparring between males and look far better than a few individuals. It suits an active community of similarly sized, current loving fish. Feed small live and frozen foods such as bloodworm, daphnia and brine shrimp, as it often ignores dry flake.

In the wild

Humphead glassfish come from clear, fast, highly oxygenated stretches of river near rapids and riffles. They are active, semi-transparent fish that shoal in open water. Give them a long tank of 120 litres or more with strong flow, powerful filtration and extra aeration, plus some driftwood and plants along the edges. They are sensitive to poor water quality and the build up of nitrogenous waste.

Good to know

Parambassis pulcinella is a freshwater glassfish in the family Ambassidae, described by Kottelat in 2003. Mature fish develop a prominent forehead hump, and the species name pulcinella refers to a humpbacked character from Italian comic theater. The semi-transparent body shows the backbone and swim bladder through the flanks.

Did you know

Only mature fish grow the tall forehead hump, and males use it along with their raised fins to display to one another.

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