All fish / Zenarchopteridae

Long-snout Halfbeak

Hemirhamphodon pogonognathus

Also known as long snout halfbeak, bearded halfbeak, red line halfbeak, threadjaw halfbeak, pogonognathus halfbeak, halfbeak, ikan julung-julung, ヘミランフォドン・ポゴノグナサス, julung-julung, ikan julung, 长嘴鱵, 长吻鱵

A slender, pencil-shaped fish with a very long lower jaw, a long-based dorsal fin set far back and red and black edging to the fins in males. It lives just under the surface of forest streams and peat swamps, and is kept by enthusiasts of unusual Southeast Asian blackwater species.

Care at a glance

Care level

Hard

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

8 cm

Temperature

22 to 28 °C

pH

5 to 7

Smallest tank

80 litres

Keep as

Group of 5 or more, ideally one male to several females

Diet

Carnivore: small live and frozen foods such as fruit flies, mosquito larvae, daphnia and bloodworm taken at the surface

Swims

Top of the tank

Lifespan

2 to 4 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Southeast Asia: Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Borneo, Bangka and Belitung

Breeding

It is a livebearer with internal fertilisation; the male uses a modified anal fin, and females give birth to small numbers of fully formed fry every few weeks. Breeding is achievable in a well-planted tank with floating plants, but adults may eat the young so fry should be moved.

Good to know

Jumps readily, so a tight-fitting lid is essential, and the fragile beak is easily damaged by collisions with the glass. Males fight among themselves, and it is unsuitable for tanks with fin-nippers or fish that compete at the surface.