The smallest and most delicate of the nominal hatchetfishes. The rounded keel is shallower than related species, giving this fish a distinctive elongate profile.

The family Gasteropelecidae is separated from other Characiformes by the following combination of characters: front…

H. eschwartzae is told apart from other laterally-striped Hyphessobrycon species from the Madre de Dios watershed by the following characters: 4 simple anal-fin rays (vs. 3 in other species listed); 13-15 dentary teeth (vs. 5-11); 6 teeth in the internal premaxillary ro…

This species is relatively rare in the aquarium hobby but is occasionally traded as ‘red-tailed flag tetra’.

It lends its name to the H. aghula group of closely-related species within the genus as proposed by Géry (1977, see below) of which members share the following characters which set them apart from other characids: lower half of the body dark, especially above the anal-fin; usually possessing a laterally-elongate humeral spot, more-or-less united wit…

This unidentified species was originally traded under the C-numbers C115 and C116 but these two are now thought to represent the same species, while fish collected from Manú National Park and sold as C. sp. ‘Manu 1 long nose’, C. sp. ‘Manu 4’, C. sp. ‘Manu 7’, and C. sp. ‘Manu 8’ may represent this species as well.

It’s highly variable in terms of colour patter…

T. stellatus is superficially similar to its only congener T. securis, but can immediately be identified by the presence (vs. absence) of a prominent dark spot in the dorsal-fin. It is sometimes traded as ‘platinum hatchetfish’.

The genus Thoracocharax was originally erected by Fowler in 1906 as a subgenus of Gasteropelecus, but was elevated to generic status by Weitzman (1960).

This species, which may also be referred to by the alternative vernacular names 'spiny catfish', 'painted talking catfish' or 'chocolate raphael', isn't particularly common in the trade and most often exported only as bycatch among shipments of Platydoras armatulus. It appears very similar to the congener A. spinosissimus with the most useful external distinguishing character being the presence of pale blotches on the dorsal surface, between the dorsal and caud…

The most recent diagnosis appears to be that of Géry (1977), in which it was separated from other members of the group by the following combination of characters: dorsal-fin insertion at or slightly anterior to mid-body; caudal-fin brick red to orange-red; body depth fits less than 3.6 times in SL; head length fits 3.5-4.0 times in SL; caudal peduncle length u…

Omnivorous and will accept most foods offered, with the stomach contents of wild specimens varying on a seasonal basis but mostly comprising insects and insect larvae (orders Trichoptera, Hemiptera, Homoptera) plus some terrestrial fruits and even scales of other fishes (Sánchez et al., 2003).

In the aquarium offer live Daphnia, Artemia, Moina, bloodowrm, etc., vegetable matter in the form of blanched spinach, lettuce, cucumber, fruit, algae wafers, etc., and good quality, sinking dried foods.

S. jurupari is also known as ‘demon fish’, ‘jurupari earth eater’, ‘green horse face’, or simply ‘jurupari’ in the aquarium hobby.

It can be distinguished from other members of the genus by the following combination of characters: presence of a relatively small dark ocellus on the upper caudal-fin base; absence of well-defined dark blot…