Identity and search names
- Common name
- Marbled hatchetfish
- Scientific name
- Carnegiella strigata
- Other names
- Marbled hatchetfish, Carnegiella strigata
- Category
- Freshwater fish
- Group
- Tetras and characins
- Origin
- Amazon and Orinoco systems and Guiana Shield drainages of northern South America
- Review outcome
- PASSED
Environment and housing
- Environment
- Freshwater
- Care level
- Intermediate
- Adult size
- Usually 3–4 cm total length
- Expected lifespan
- About 3–5 years
- Minimum housing
- At least 90 L with a fully sealed lid and broad calm surface area for a group of 10–12 or more
- Temperature
- 23–28 °C
- pH
- 5.0–7.2
- Hardness or minerals
- Very soft to moderately hard
- Salinity
- Freshwater
- Lighting
- Subdued to moderate with floating cover and open feeding lanes
- Social structure
- Keep at least 10–12; a larger school reduces fear and improves surface feeding confidence
- Placement or swimming zone
- Surface and uppermost water
- Temperament
- Peaceful, shy and easily displaced from food
- Compatibility
- Use small peaceful fish that remain below the surface and do not outcompete or frighten the school
- Habitat structure
- Mature aquarium with calm surface zones, floating plants, shaded margins, clean oxygenated water and every lid opening sealed
Feeding and nutrition
- Diet
- Surface insects, small crustaceans, zooplankton and fine floating prepared foods
- Feeding frequency
- Feed several small floating portions daily and confirm food remains at the surface long enough for every fish to eat
Breeding and reproduction
- Breeding or reproduction
- Species-specific captive breeding is uncommon. Condition a separate group and use fine floating vegetation or spawning media; remove adults if eggs are confirmed because no brood care occurs
- Parental care
- No parental care; adults may consume eggs or fry
System demands
- Filtration
- Use mature biological filtration sized for the full adult group and feeding load, with intake protection where juveniles, long fins or small fish are present. Provide steady turnover without preventing normal swimming or resting.
- Aeration
- Maintain strong surface gas exchange and stable dissolved oxygen. Increase aeration during warm weather, medication, transport recovery, breeding crowding or any ammonia or nitrite event.
- Maintenance
- Test ammonia, nitrite and nitrate, remove waste from feeding and shelter zones, and perform regular temperature- and chemistry-matched water changes before nitrate or dissolved organics accumulate.
Detailed husbandry
- Identity scope
- This profile applies to Carnegiella strigata. It must not be confused with the smaller blackwing or Martha’s hatchetfishes, and the common name does not justify assigning an unverified locality.
- Adult size and space
- Usually 3–4 cm total length. At least 90 L with a fully sealed lid and broad calm surface area for a group of 10–12 or more. Plan around adult dimensions, activity, social structure, aggression and waste production rather than sale size.
- Social structure
- Keep at least 10–12; a larger school reduces fear and improves surface feeding confidence
- Placement or swimming zone
- Primary zone: Surface and uppermost water. Keep that zone usable for movement, feeding and refuge.
- Feeding ecology
- Surface insects, small crustaceans, zooplankton and fine floating prepared foods
- Feeding plan
- Feed several small floating portions daily and confirm food remains at the surface long enough for every fish to eat
- Water stability
- Maintain 23–28 °C; pH 5.0–7.2; hardness/minerals: Very soft to moderately hard. Stable oxygenation and nitrogen-cycle control matter more than chasing one exact number.
- Adult projected load
- Plan capacity for Keep at least 10–12; a larger school reduces fear and improves surface feeding confidence at the documented adult size (Usually 3–4 cm total length) in At least 90 L with a fully sealed lid and broad calm surface area for a group of 10–12 or more. Include feeding intensity, territorial behaviour and breeding growth rather than counting sale-size juveniles.
- Filtration
- Use mature biological filtration sized for the full adult group and feeding load, with intake protection where juveniles, long fins or small fish are present. Provide steady turnover without preventing normal swimming or resting.
- Aeration
- Maintain strong surface gas exchange and stable dissolved oxygen. Increase aeration during warm weather, medication, transport recovery, breeding crowding or any ammonia or nitrite event.
- Maintenance
- Test ammonia, nitrite and nitrate, remove waste from feeding and shelter zones, and perform regular temperature- and chemistry-matched water changes before nitrate or dissolved organics accumulate.
- Habitat structure
- Mature aquarium with calm surface zones, floating plants, shaded margins, clean oxygenated water and every lid opening sealed
- Compatibility plan
- Use small peaceful fish that remain below the surface and do not outcompete or frighten the school
- Breeding plan
- Species-specific captive breeding is uncommon. Condition a separate group and use fine floating vegetation or spawning media; remove adults if eggs are confirmed because no brood care occurs Parental care: No parental care; adults may consume eggs or fry.
- Quarantine
- Quarantine new fish in a separate cycled aquarium with dedicated equipment. Match temperature and mineral chemistry gradually, confirm feeding and normal respiration, and never add transport water to the established aquarium.
- Welfare checks
- Maintain the stated adult space and social structure, verify feeding and intervene early when injury, exclusion, weight loss, abnormal respiration or altered behaviour appears. This is an exceptional jumper. A small feeding, cable or filter gap can kill fish, and a loose lid is not acceptable.
- Biosecurity and release
- Never release fish, fry, eggs, aquarium water, sediment, plants or live foods into drains, dams or natural waterways. Confirm current Australian import conditions and South Australian possession, trade and movement rules before acquisition or transfer.
- Main risk
- This is an exceptional jumper. A small feeding, cable or filter gap can kill fish, and a loose lid is not acceptable.
- Overridable warnings
- This is an exceptional jumper. A small feeding, cable or filter gap can kill fish, and a loose lid is not acceptable. Any override must still preserve adult space, social welfare, stable chemistry, oxygen and filter capacity.
Welfare and risk
- Welfare checks
- Maintain the stated adult space and social structure, verify feeding and intervene early when injury, exclusion, weight loss, abnormal respiration or altered behaviour appears. This is an exceptional jumper. A small feeding, cable or filter gap can kill fish, and a loose lid is not acceptable.
- Main warning
- This is an exceptional jumper. A small feeding, cable or filter gap can kill fish, and a loose lid is not acceptable.
- Biosecurity
- Never release fish, fry, eggs, aquarium water, sediment, plants or live foods into drains, dams or natural waterways. Confirm current Australian import conditions and South Australian possession, trade and movement rules before acquisition or transfer.
Sources
Source note
Current identity or scope, husbandry, system-demand, welfare and Australian biosecurity evidence checked; active retired-source links removed; all AquaNexus wording is original.
- Eschmeyer’s Catalog of Fishes — Carnegiella strigata — Current accepted-name, synonym, family and habitat check
- Eschmeyer’s Catalog of Fishes — Carnegiella strigata — Accepted-name, synonym and taxonomic-placement cross-check
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service — Marbled hatchetfish — Identity, distribution and species overview cross-check
- IUCN Red List search — Carnegiella strigata — Conservation-status and wild-provenance cross-check
- PIRSA — South Australian noxious fish list — Current South Australian possession and trade restriction cross-check
- DAFF — importing live ornamental fish to Australia — Current Australian live-fish import pathway and permitted-species warning