All fish / Lebiasinidae

Hockey stick pencilfish

Nannostomus eques

Also known as brown pencilfish, diptail pencilfish, tube-mouthed pencilfish, hockeystick pencilfish, eques pencilfish, pencil fish, nannostomus eques, ナノストムス・エクエス, 铅笔鱼, 斜行铅笔鱼

A slim pencilfish with a dark lateral stripe running into the lower lobe of the tail, often with a red flash at the tail base. It swims at an oblique, head-up angle near the surface, which makes it a distinctive choice for planted soft-water community tanks.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Peaceful

Adult size

4.5 cm

Temperature

22 to 28 °C

pH

5 to 7

Smallest tank

60 litres

Keep as

Shoal of 8 or more

Diet

Omnivore: small live and frozen foods such as daphnia, cyclops and baby brine shrimp, plus fine flakes

Swims

Top of the tank

Lifespan

3 to 5 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Amazon, Rio Negro and Orinoco basins; Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Venezuela, Guyana

Breeding

An egg scatterer that lays eggs among fine-leaved or floating plants and will eat them. Breeding is possible in a separate soft, acidic tank with plant cover, but raising the tiny fry on infusoria takes care.

Good to know

Shy and easily outcompeted at feeding time, so keep it with small, calm tankmates and a tightly fitting lid, as it can jump.