Spotfin hatchetfish facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Spotfin silver hatchetfish |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Thoracocharax
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| Species: |
stellatus
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| Synonyms | |
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Gastropelecus stellatus Kner, 1858 |
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The Spotfin silver hatchetfish (scientific name: Thoracocharax stellatus) is a cool fish known for its shiny, silver look. It's also called the silver hatchetfish or platinum hatchetfish. This fish is one of the biggest types of hatchetfish! You can find them all over South America, living in big rivers like the Amazon, Orinoco, and Paraguay. They love places where there are lots of plants growing near the water.
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What Does the Spotfin Silver Hatchetfish Look Like?
The Spotfin silver hatchetfish looks a lot like other hatchetfish. It has a special shape that helps it glide on the water's surface. A cool thing about this fish is the dark spot on its back fin. This spot helps tell it apart from similar fish.
In the wild, these fish usually grow to be about 2 to 5.5 centimeters long. That's about the length of your thumb! But if they live in an aquarium, they can get a bit bigger, sometimes up to 6 to 8 centimeters.
Where Did Its Name Come From?
The scientific name for this fish, Thoracocharax stellatus, has a cool meaning!
The first part, Thoracocharax, comes from two old Greek words. "Thorax" means "breastplate" or "armor," like what a knight would wear. "Charax" means "a fence of sharp sticks." This name probably refers to the fish's strong, armored chest and its sharp teeth.
The second part of the name, stellatus, is a Latin word. It means "starry" or "covered in stars." This is a perfect name for the fish because of its shiny, platinum-like look that sparkles like stars!
Scientists think there might be different groups of this fish living in different rivers. These groups are found in the Orinoco River, Paraguay River, Araguaia River, and Amazon River.
What Does the Spotfin Silver Hatchetfish Eat?
These fish are very good hunters! They usually eat at sunrise and sunset. The Spotfin silver hatchetfish mostly eats insects, almost 100% of their diet! They especially love ants, beetles, and mayflies.
These fish are super good at catching insects that are on plants near the water. They can actually jump several meters out of the water to grab their food! Imagine seeing a fish leap so high to catch a bug!
How to Care for a Spotfin Silver Hatchetfish in an Aquarium
If you ever want to keep a Spotfin silver hatchetfish as a pet, there are a few important things to know.
Because they love to jump so high to catch food, you'll need a good lid or cover on your fish tank. This stops them from jumping out! It's also a good idea to have some floating plants on the water's surface.
These fish like a tank that looks like their natural home in the Amazon River. This means adding things like driftwood branches, sand on the bottom, and some leaf litter.
It can be tricky to get these fish to have babies in an aquarium, but it is possible if they are the only type of fish in the tank.
See also
In Spanish: Thoracocharax stellatus para niños
