• Scientific name: Carnegiella strigata
• Common name: Marbled hatchetfish
• Synonyms: Carnegiella strigatus, Gasteropelecus strigata, G. fasciata
• Group: Characins
• Habitat: South America
• Size: 3,5-5 cm
• Biotope: Shaded, still or slow-moving waters
• Social behavior: Peaceful schooling fish of which at least five to be kept at a time. Fry in the tank are often chased.
• Diet: Omnivorous, although the fish will eat flake foods they cannot survive on it. Recommended feeding mosquito larvae and bloodworms.
• Breeding: Hard
• Tank: Minimum 80 litres
• Population: 4-5 fishes for 80 litres
• Decoration: The aquarium can be planted densely, but you should leave enough free swimming space. Floating plants can be used as well.
• Temperature: 24-29°C
• pH: 5-7,5
• Hardness: 5-18 NK°
• Lifespan: 4-5 years

Description: Fast darting fishes, they often stand motionless in a powerfull filter stream. Since the current may affect plants, we suggest adequate protection. The marbled hatchetfish has a convex body. The ventral fins are very small and the back is fairly straight. The wing-like pectoral fins are transparent and often measure up to one-half the fish's overall body length. The coloration is usually silver with black patches. A horizontal stripe, yellow in color, extends along the top of the fish. Sexual differences only distinguishable at spawning, when the white eggs may be seen in the female's body.

The fish will spawn frequently with a proper diet (small flying insects, such as fruit flies and black mosquito larvae). recommended soft water (to 5° KH) and a pH of 5,5-6,5. Keep the lighting subdued and you may wish to darken the water with peat extract (2-3 times the normal amount) until it is nearly opaque. The fish will spawn after a lengthy courtship, darting about the surface to deposit their eggs on floating plants or the roots of the floating fern. In general the eggs will fall to the bottom and the parents should be removed. The fry will hatch after 30 hours and are free-swimming after the fifth day. They should be fed finely powdered foods as Paramecia and will take brine shrimp after the seventh day. The young begin to take adults shape after 20 days, and swim at all tank levels.