Abramites hypselonotus
Encyclopedia
Abramites hypselonotus, or the marbled headstander, is a member of the family Anostomidae
of the order Characiformes
. Under normal fish classifying rules you would gather from its upturned mouth and long streamlined body that the marbled headstander is a surface dweller. In reality marbled headstanders, like all headstanders, inhabit the middle and lower portions of the aquarium
. In the wild, head standers are often found face down, tail up in narrow vertical rocky fissures.
and Amazon
river systems. Headstanders in general inhabit very fast flowing waters in rocky stretches of river.
The marble headstanders full adult size is roughly 5" (13 cm).
Keep marble headstanders in a rocky, heavily planted aquarium with many cracks and crevices for them to explore. Note: if there is not enough vegetation in its diet, it will devour aquarium plants. On the other hand you can use this to your advantage if you want to set up a "self-sustaining aquarium" (Please keep in mind this is not an easy task. Do not just throw a bunch of plants in and think it will be fine).
Anostomidae
The Anostomidae are a family of ray-finned fishes that belong to the order Characiformes. Closely related to the Chilodontidae and formerly included with them, the Anostomidae contain over 140 described species...
of the order Characiformes
Characiformes
The Characiformes are an order of ray-finned fish, comprising the characins and their allies. Grouped in 18 recognized families, there are a few thousand different species, including the well-known piranha and tetras.-Taxonomy:...
. Under normal fish classifying rules you would gather from its upturned mouth and long streamlined body that the marbled headstander is a surface dweller. In reality marbled headstanders, like all headstanders, inhabit the middle and lower portions of the aquarium
Aquarium
An aquarium is a vivarium consisting of at least one transparent side in which water-dwelling plants or animals are kept. Fishkeepers use aquaria to keep fish, invertebrates, amphibians, marine mammals, turtles, and aquatic plants...
. In the wild, head standers are often found face down, tail up in narrow vertical rocky fissures.
Geographical distribution and habitat
The marbled headstander generally inhabits streams and rivers of the OrinocoOrinoco
The Orinoco is one of the longest rivers in South America at . Its drainage basin, sometimes called the Orinoquia, covers , with 76.3% of it in Venezuela and the remainder in Colombia...
and Amazon
Amazon Rainforest
The Amazon Rainforest , also known in English as Amazonia or the Amazon Jungle, is a moist broadleaf forest that covers most of the Amazon Basin of South America...
river systems. Headstanders in general inhabit very fast flowing waters in rocky stretches of river.
Physical description
Marble headstanders are generally identified by their pointed snout, diamond shaped body, brown markings on pelvic fin, wavy dark brown bands, and a dark line at the base of the caudal peduncle.The marble headstanders full adult size is roughly 5" (13 cm).
Diet and feeding behaviour
The marble headstander is a predominately herbivorous fish and as such should be given a high vegetation diet. In addition to processed food, they will readily accept, and probably enjoy lettuce leaves, and peas. They will also accept mosquito larvae and bloodworms.Aquarium care
In the aquarium the marble headstander is generally a peaceful inhabitant despite its (extremely distant) relation to the pirahna. They are completely docile as juveniles both towards other fish and members of their own species. Once older keep either a single headstander or a group of seven or more in a tank as they tend to fight amongst themselves in smaller groups. They are still generally peaceful towards other fish.Keep marble headstanders in a rocky, heavily planted aquarium with many cracks and crevices for them to explore. Note: if there is not enough vegetation in its diet, it will devour aquarium plants. On the other hand you can use this to your advantage if you want to set up a "self-sustaining aquarium" (Please keep in mind this is not an easy task. Do not just throw a bunch of plants in and think it will be fine).