Animal-World > Freshwater Fish > Characins > Common Hatchetfish

Common HatchetfishSilver Hatchetfish ~ River Hatchetfish

Family: Gasteropelecidae

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Gasteropelecus sterniclaPhoto © Animal-World: Courtesy David Brough

     The Common Hatchetfish has a body shape that looks like the head of a hatchet, thus the common name "hatchetfish"!

     The Common Hatchetfish are very peaceful, even timid fish, and make a good community tank mate. They like to hang at the surface of the water and they like to jump, so keep a good top on the aquarium.     These fish will appreciate some floating plants, but with their mouth situated up on top of their body you can see that the Common Hatchetfish must be used to eating at the surface. Be sure to provide some clear areas on the surface for them to feed! They are prone to ich.

     The Common Hatchetfish are often sold as a Silver Hatchetfish, which is a misnomer though a common mistake. The actual Silver Hatchetfish is another species, Thoracocharax securis. The confusion comes from them being very similar. The biggest difference is that the true Silver Hatchetfish grow much larger, getting up to 3 1/2" (9.1 cm) which is a full inch longer than the Common Hatchetfish. Another difference is that the Silver Hatchetfish does not have the pronounced black horizontal line seen on the Common Hatchetfish.

     The hatchetfishes of the family Gasteropelecidae leap from the water and fly through the air, flapping their large pectoral fins to catch flying insects.. They are generally accepted as being the only true "flyingfish" as they are the only fish that move their pectoral fins to aid in their flight!

For more Information on keeping this fish see:
Guide to a Happy, Healthy Freshwater Aquarium

Distribution:      The Common Hatchetfish, also known as the Silver Hatchetfish or River Hatchetfish, was described by Linnaeus in 1758. They are found in South America in Brazil and the southern tributaries of the Amazon. In Guyana and Surinam they are found in smaller streams with plenty of vegetation.

Status:      The species is not listed on the IUCN Red List.

Description:      The Common or Silver Hatchetfish is a deep bodied fish with a 'hatchet' type shape to it. They are basically a white or silvery looking color with a pronounced black horizontal line running throught the center of the body. They have a mouth situated close to the top for feeding at the surface.

Size - Weight:      These fish get up to 2.5 inches (6.5 cm).

Care and feeding:      With their mouth situated up on top of their body you can see they must be used to eating surface foods such as small vinegar flies and mosquito larvae. In the aquarium the Common Hatchetfish will generally eat all kinds of live, fresh and flake foods as long as it is on the surface of the water. To keep a good balance give them a protein such as brine shrimp (either live or frozen), fruit flies, or blood worms everyday.

Water Region: Top, Middle, Bottom:      The Common Hatchetfish will swim at the top of the aquarium. Notice how the mouth is at the top of the body.

Acceptable Water Conditions:      Hardness: 2-15 ° dGH
     Ph: 6.0 to 7.0
     Temp: 26-28 ° C

Social Behaviors:      The Common Hatchetfish are generally a good community fish.

Sexual Differences:      It is hard to tell, but if viewed from above the female is more plump.

Breeding/Reproduction:      The Common Hatchetfish are egg layers, but they have not been successfully bred in captivity. The Marbled Hatchetfish will breed quite easily though.

     See the general description of how to breed Characins in Breeding Freshwater Fish.

Availability:      The Common Hatchetfish is readily available. They are somewhat more expensive than the Marbled Hatchetfish but are also a hardier species which makes them worth the extra price.

Author: David Brough, CFS

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Latest Comments
Hatchetfish's scientific name is argyropecus gigas. Reply Anonymous 2010-03-05
Replies (2) Thanks for the information. There is fish with the common name 'hatchetfish' and a scientific name of 'Argyropecus gigas but it is not the fish listed here. To see the difference, you can see a picture of it at fishbase.org: Hatchet Fish... Editor's Note There are a number of different hatchetfish. Different species can be found in both freshwater and in the oceans. Argyropelecus gigas is known as the Greater Silver Hatchetfish. It is a marine hatchetfish of the genus Argyropelecus. It is also called the Giant Hatchetfish or Large Hatchetfish. It was described by Norman in 1930. The one seen here is a freshwater hatchetfish known as the Common Hatchetfish or Silver Hatchet Fish, Gasteropelecus sternicla.... Editor's Note
I have owned 7 hatchet fish in the last year. 3 of them have jumped out of my tank to their death. I am finally putting a net over my tank, good idea :) Reply bobbwb22 2009-12-11
I have 2 hatchet fish in a fully planted 20 gallon tank, my female is silver and male is a common hatchet. I find that the common hatchet is much more bold than the silver one. I am going to move them into my 125 gallon tank with some marble hatchets soon. Reply ronaldo 2009-02-06
i'm doing a report on these and they are awesome. i don't have one but i do have some room, and i'm thinking about getting one now. Reply nature-boy hunter 2007-05-16
i think they are strange but interesting fish i wouldnt mind taking one to show and tell Reply karen weither 2007-02-25
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Some of the bestest comments - here's the beef!
I am a very big fish person. But, my favorite fish is a hatchetfish. I have learned more about the silver hatchet fish then any other hatchetfish. But when you have any type of hatchetfish, you should always have a net over your filter hole, so your hatchetfish will not jump out. For proof, I have had two hatchetfish jump out of my tank. One was a silver hatchetfish. It was playing in the filter current for a few days. But one morning before I left the house, I did not see my hatchetfih in my tank. A while later, we found it by the stand our fish tank is on. It was to late to save it. You can also ask a person at a fish store. But hatchetfish are very good fish to keep. Reply Carissa 2004-01-26
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