Not furry, but we like them anyway.
Common Hatchetfish
Gasteropelecus sternicla
Also called Silver hatchetfish, River hatchetfish
From Northern and central South America: Amazon, Orinoco, Essequibo and upper Paraguay basins and the Guiana coastal rivers (Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guianas, Peru, Venezuela, Trinidad).123
At a glance the quick version
Looks how to spot one
Deep-keeled surface characin
A small silver fish shaped like the head of a hatchet: a flat back, a strongly curved, keel-like chest and long, wing-like pectoral fins. The keel holds big flight muscles. Females are slightly larger and look rounder when full of eggs.342
Personality what they are like
A very peaceful, rather shy fish that feels safe only in a group. It keeps to the surface and does not compete well with pushy tankmates at feeding time.32
Daily activity how busy a day looks
Lives right at the surface and is an excellent jumper, so a tight-fitting lid is a must.34
Grooming and care the hands-on bits
Keep the tank covered and the water clean; floating plants give it a sense of security.3
Home where they are happiest
A tank of at least 120 x 30 cm footprint (about 108 litres) with calm surface water and some floating plants. Water 20-28 C (FishBase: 23-27 C), pH about 5.0-7.5, hardness 1-12 dGH.32
Food basics what goes in the bowl
Takes insects from the surface, plus worms and small crustaceans. Offer floating foods and plenty of small live or frozen foods such as bloodworm and Daphnia; most learn to accept dry food over time.324
Company who they like around
Keep at least six together, ideally more. Good tankmates are small, calm tetras, dwarf cichlids and catfish.3
The story where it all began
This was one of the first characins named by science: Linnaeus described it in 1758 as Clupea sternicla, placing it with the herrings. It has been kept in European aquariums since about 1912 and in American ones since the 1930s, and is considered the hardiest of the hatchetfishes in the trade.1423
Fun facts for the dinner table
Recognised by the official bits
- IUCN Red List
- Assessed as Least Concern (October 2020)2
The care rhythm Furry Diary remembers it for you
A typical home-care rhythm for a Common Hatchetfish. It is our own starting plan, not a vet's advice, and you can change every line in the app.
- FeedingSmall amounts once or twice a dayevery day
- Temperature checkevery day
- Water changeAbout 25% of the waterevery week
- Water testevery week
- Glass cleanevery week
- Filter rinseRinse in old tank water, never tap waterevery month
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Where this comes from
Every breed page shows where each fact comes from. If we got something wrong, sorry, we are pet people, not a science magazine. Tell us at [email protected] and we will fix it.
- Gasteropelecus sternicla, Wikipedia en.wikipedia.orgused for range, taxonomic history
- Gasteropelecus sternicla, FishBase fishbase.seused for distribution, length, water parameters, IUCN status, biology, author
- Gasteropelecus sternicla, Seriously Fish seriouslyfish.comused for other names, origin, size, tank and water parameters, diet, behaviour, appearance
- Gasteropelecus sternicla, Animal Diversity Web animaldiversity.orgused for size, gliding, muscles, diet, hobby history
Checked 2026-09-30. Text is written in our own words from these sources.