All fish / Gasteropelecidae

Pygmy Hatchetfish

Carnegiella myersi

Also known as pygmy hatchetfish, myers hatchetfish, myers' hatchetfish, dwarf hatchetfish, glass hatchetfish, clear hatchetfish, ピグミー・ハチェット, 迈尔斯燕子鱼

This is the smallest hatchetfish, a tiny, nearly see-through fish with a deep keel-shaped belly, a silvery sheen and a thin dark line along the flank. It is kept by enthusiasts of soft-water blackwater biotopes, where a group skimming just below the surface makes an unusual and delicate display.

Care at a glance

Care level

Hard

Temperament

Peaceful

Adult size

2.2 cm

Temperature

23 to 28 °C

pH

5 to 7

Smallest tank

45 litres

Keep as

Shoal of 8 or more

Diet

Carnivore: small floating foods such as fruit flies, springtails, daphnia, baby brine shrimp and fine flake

Swims

Top of the tank

Lifespan

2 to 4 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Upper Amazon basin in Peru and Bolivia (Ucayali and Mamoré drainages)

Breeding

It is thought to scatter eggs among floating plants or roots, but captive spawning is very rarely reported. Nearly all fish in the trade are wild caught.

Good to know

Wild imports are fragile and prone to disease, so quarantine carefully and keep it only with very small, calm tankmates. Hatchetfish can leap, so a tight-fitting lid is essential.