Carnegiella strigata, the marbled hatchetfish, is one of Project Piaba’s feature fishes. These fish are found in many South American Rivers, including the Rio Negro, where a sustainable wild caught aquarium fishery exists for them. They are found in blackwater, flooded forest environments, and do great in aquariums that replicate this environment. They also do great in tanks with leaf litter, driftwood and floating/overhanging plants. Their maximum size is about 1.5 inches and they can be kept in tanks as small as 10 gallons, but they do better in larger groups, so larger tanks are better. They get along well with smaller tetras such as cardinal or rummynose tetras, although they should not be kept with larger or more aggressive fish.
They readily accept flakes, but their diets can be supplemented with bloodworms, blackworms, or daphnia. They are strikingly beautiful fish, with deep keeled bodies, slim profiles and a bold marbled pattern and they are a fantastic addition to a Rio Negro biotope aquarium. Also, the sustainable wild caught fishery for marbled hatchetfish helps conserve rainforest habitat by providing reliable incomes and incentive for environmental stewardship to river and rainforest communities in the Rio Negro watershed.