Gasteropelecus

The silver hatchetfish (Gasteropelecus levis) is a freshwater hatchetfish found only in the lower Amazon basin in the state of Pará, Brazil. It spends almost all of its time at or just below the surface, and can leap from the water and glide for several metres to catch flying insects or escape predators. It lives in open water of larger igarapés, streams and floodplain lakes.

The common hatchetfish (Gasteropelecus sternicla) is a freshwater hatchetfish from South America, described from Suriname. Its distribution is questionable, with records from the middle Amazon, Venezuela, Guyana, French Guiana and the Río Paraguay basin. It spends almost all of its time at or just below the surface. The most frequently seen of the silver hatchetfishes, it is peaceful but nervous and shy.