Deep sea hatchetfish Facts - Soft Schools
Photo provided by Flickr
Because of the depth of the sea hatchetfish environment, researchers are yet to monitor their habits first hand, and a great deal of the relevant information on them is based upon presumptions. The freshwater ranges nevertheless, can be a great accessory to your fish tank, which will certainly charm you with their good looks and frolics. Hatchetfish are presently considered as a species of ‘Least Concern’ on the IUCN’s Red List, so that there is no worry of termination of this marine life. Everything that discovers its way into the sea, whether it is chucked as garbage, and shampooes off a beach or diminishes a boat, might ultimately make its way to deep blue sea.
Photo provided by Flickr The large sternal region of the body shaped like the head of a hatchet gives the hatchetfish its name. These fish come in two varieties; freshwater and marine. This article will provide some fascinating information about the hatchetfish, such as its appearance, habitat, diet, and the like.
Photo provided by Flickr
Photo provided by Flickr
Photo provided by Flickr
The Marbled Hatchetfish is a River Hatchetfish. Its common and scientific names are both very descriptive in recognizing this species, as well as a bit informative. At the family level, the term Gasteropelecidae means "hatchet-shaped belly," which is readily apparent in its appearance. The genus is named after Margaret Carnegie, as seen in the term , and its species name means "streaked."Marbled Hatchetfish are egg layers. They are not bred on a commercial basis, but they have been bred in captivity. In the aquarium, breeding can be somewhat difficult, but they can be encouraged to spawn under the right conditions. The water must be soft and slightly acidic, and they must be fed a proper diet. These are "blackwater" fish, so the addition of peat will help to darken and soften the water. They will go through a long courtship after which the female will deposit eggs on plants and roots.Provide a separate 10- to 20- gallon breeding tank with a thin layer of gravel as a substrate. The water should be aged, soft, and slightly acidic with a pH of 5.5 to 6.5 and a hardness of about 5°. The temperature will need to be slightly elevated at around 76 to 79° F (24 - 26° C). Keep the tank dimly lit and provide floating plants. The plants will help to further reduce the light, and along with the substrate, will be used as a spawning medium. A small, air-powered sponge filter will provide filtration and gentle water circulation. Filter the water through aquarium-safe peat or mix peat into the substrate to darken the water.They can be bred in pairs, but the most successful way to spawn these fish is in a small group of 4 to 6 individuals. Females are generally more rounded than males, and sometimes the eggs can be seen in the body cavity. Feed the breeders a rich diet that includes plenty of small flying insects, such as fruit flies, bloodworms, and other small crustaceans to induce them to spawn.Once a successful spawn has been achieved, remove the parents as they will eat both the eggs and fry. The eggs will hatch in approximately 30 to 36 hours. The fry will be free-swimming 1 to 2 days later and are very small. The smallest foods possible, like infusoria, are needed for the first week or so until the fry are large enough to feed on microworm or brine shrimp nauplii. About 20 days after they hatch, the fry will take on the body shape of the adults and swim in all areas of the aquarium. See for information about types of foods for raising the young. For a description of breeding characin fish, see .The Common Hatchetfish are prone to developing ick (ichthyobodo infection). This is especially true when they are first introduced to an new aquarium. Newly acquired specimens should be kept in a quarantine tank before they are introduced into a community. Even so, they will still be susceptible to ick if their tank water is not kept soft and acidic.As with most fish, these freshwater hatchetfish are prone to skin flukes, parasitic infestations (protozoa, worms, etc.), parasitic infestations (protozoa, worms, etc.), bacterial infections (general), and bacterial disease. They are extremely hardy and disease is not usually a problem in a well-maintained aquarium. That being said, there is no guarantee that you won't have to deal with health problems or disease. Remember that anything you add to your tank can introduce disease. Not only other fish but plants, substrate, and decorations can harbor bacteria. Take great care and make sure to properly clean or quarantine anything that you add to an established tank so as not to upset the balance.A good thing about the Common Hatchetfish is that due to their resilience, an outbreak of disease can often be limited to just one or a few fishes if dealt with at an early stage. When keeping more sensitive types of fish, it is common for all fishes to be infected even before the first warning signs can be noticed. The best way to proactively prevent disease is to give your Common Hatchetfish the proper environment and a well-balanced diet.The more closely their environment resembles their natural habitat, the less stress these fish will have, making them healthier and happier. Stressed fish are more likely to acquire disease. Aquarists should read up on common tank diseases. Knowing the signs and catching and treating them early makes a huge difference. For information about freshwater fish diseases and illnesses, see .So I'm just doing some research for my future aquarium. I really like the hatchetfish. But, I can't find certain information about them. It says they're schooling fish, but other places say small groups. What size is ideal? How big do they get? I've read up to 1.5 inches, and I've read all the way up to 3 inches. I'd prefer smaller, as I'm also going to have a school of glowlight tetras, and like everything to be generally the same size. I also want to get some cherry shrimp. Will they try to eat them? It's going to be a 100 gallon fully planted community tank.