Order

Characiformes

  Class

Actinopterygii

No. in FishBase

Genera : 3 | Species : 9 Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes

  Environment

Fresh : Yes | Brackish : No | Marine : No

  Division

Primary freshwater

  Aquarium

some

  First Fossil Record

     

  Remark

Fishes of the family Gasteropelecidae have the following characteristics: Frontal bone longitudinally corrugated, bearing a strong longitudinal ridge. Posttemporal and supracleithrum are fused into a single bone. The pelvic fins and associated bones are minute. They have an enlarged, strongly convex muscular pectoral girdle region, consisting of greatly expanded coracoids fused to a single fan-shaped and corrugated median bone. Their lateral line extends ventroposteriorly to approach the anterior termination of the anal fin, or they have 0 to 2 or 3 scales behind head and one or a very few scales on tail-fin base. Dorsal fin has 10 to 17 rays. Anal fin has 22 to 44 rays. An adipose fin is present in the larger species, but absent in the smaller species. All are capable of jumping relatively long or high distances by use of their modified, elongate pectoral fin rays and heavily-muscled, enlarged pectoral girdle. See Wiest, 1995 and Weitzman and Palmer, 1996 for discussions of their jumping abilities. Freshwater hatchetfish are found in Panama and all countries of South America except Chile. The family consists of three genera and nine species, ranging in standard length from 21.5 - 68 mm. Central America contains only one species, Gasteropelecus maculatus. South America contains species in three genera: Carnegiella, Gasteropelecus, and Thoracocharax. The species of the genera Gasteropelecus and Thoracocharax occur in open waters of larger rivers and streams and lakes, whereas species of Carnegiella occur in small creeks and streams (personal observations). Morphology and function of some of the smaller members of this family have been well studied (Weitzman, 1954 and Wiest, 1995), but the larger species, especially in Thoracocharax, have not been subject to such investigations. Most species probably have been described; however species problems associated with comparisons of population samples from different localities may reveal some new species. Members of this family are commercially collected for the aquarium trade.

  Etymology

Greek, gaster = stomach + Greek, pelekis = axe ( Ref. 45335).

  Reproductive guild

nonguarders

  Typical activity level

  Main Ref

Nelson, J.S. 1984

  Coordinator

Nelson, J.S. 1984

  Deep Fin Classification

Osteichthyes | Actinopterygii | Actinopteri | Neopterygii | Teleostei | Osteoglossocephalai | Clupeocephala | Otomorpha | Ostariophysi | Otophysa | Characiphysae | Characiformes | Characoidei | Gasteropelecidae