Striped headstander

Care at a glance

Overview

It is mostly peaceful but can squabble, so keep it either single or in a group of five or more to spread out the aggression, never as a pair. It sits in the middle of the tank and needs at least 265 liters. Water should run soft to neutral, pH 6 to 7.5, at 20 to 28 C. It grazes constantly, so feed plenty of vegetable matter like spirulina, blanched zucchini, and spinach, with a little protein now and then. Tankmates should be similar-sized and not slow or timid.

In the wild

The striped headstander lives in clear, fast-flowing rivers and streams across the Amazon and Orinoco systems, from Peru and Brazil to Venezuela and Guyana. It sticks close to rocks and submerged wood, grazing surfaces for food. To match that, give it a roomy tank with good flow, smooth rocks, driftwood, and some current from the filter. Plants help too, but pick tough ones it won't shred.

Good to know

This fish belongs to the family Anostomidae, the headstanders, named for the head-down angle they hold in the water. Adults can reach around 19 cm. Its body carries bold horizontal stripes that break up its outline against rocks and roots. There are no reliable records of it breeding in home aquariums.

Did you know

It feeds in the head-down posture that gives the group its name, angling nose-first to pick algae and tiny invertebrates off rocks and wood that fish swimming level can't easily reach. That feeding angle isn't a quirk, it's how the fish naturally orients most of the day.

Related species

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• 

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• 

  Banded leporinus

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• 

  Malayan leaf fish

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  Spot-tail Tetra

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  Blue acara

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