Fun Diptail Pencilfish Facts For Kids
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A diptail pencilfish (Nannostomus eques) is a freshwater fish found throughout South America. The fishes of the Lebiasinidae family are also used as aquarium fish in many places.
The diptail penfish are also commonly referred to as brown pencilfish in their range. These fish are scattered all over the Amazon Basin and in its tributaries in large numbers. A large number of these species also qualify annually for aquarium trade that suggests a widespread availability of the pencilfish in the wild.
In the wild, their origin can be traced back to the central and upper portions of the Amazon Basin, where these fish are found in abundance. Dark water consisting of floating vegetation, floating tree logs, and leafy vegetation is the ideal habitat condition for the brown pencilfish.
The submerged woody structures help this shy species to remain hidden in the water from other animals.
In Colombia, the species of brown pencilfish largely populate dark and well-planted backwater regions at an extremely shallow depth. If you are interested to know more about the diptail pencilfish, keep on reading these amazing facts.
For similar content, check out scarlet badis facts and Cortez angelfish facts, too.
Diptail Pencilfish Interesting Facts
What type of animal is a diptail pencilfish?
A diptail pencilfish (Nannostomus eques) is a type of freshwater fish.
What class of animal does a diptail pencilfish belong to?
A diptail pencilfish of Characiformes order and Nannostomus genus belongs to the class Actinopterygii, the common class for all ray-finned bony fishes. The scientific name of this species is Nannostomus eques.
How many diptail pencilfish are there in the world?
The global population of the diptail pencilfish has not been quantified. They are widely common throughout their origin; therefore, it is assumed that their population is not at stake currently.
Where does a diptail pencilfish live?
The diptail pencilfish (Nannostomus eques) is a species of freshwater fish that have originated in South America. Large fish populations have been recorded in Peru, northeastern Brazil, Guyana, and Colombia.
They are also common across various drainage systems of America like the Ornicco drainage in Venezuela and Essequibo and Curuni river systems of Guyana. The diptail pencilfish is very popular in the aquarium trade throughout the world. Therefore the fish is also capable of living in an aquarium or community tank apart from its natural habitat.
What is a diptail pencilfish's habitat?
The diptail pencilfish is a freshwater fish residing in extremely shallow and slightly acidic water. They prefer to live in moderately warm water than in water with a very low temperature.
The fish inhabit the tropical rivers of the plainlands consisting of several sluggish tributaries. They also occur in floodplains and brackish backwaters in swampy areas. The Nannostomus eques is mostly found in large open waters where free swimming is possible.
Who do diptail pencilfish live with?
The diptail pencilfish is a very shy, peaceful, and loosely schooling fish. They cannot be kept in groups with all kinds of animals in the aquarium.
These highly gregarious and peaceful fish is suitable community fish for your tank only if you group them with certain peaceful species of fishes having a similar size.
Some common tank mates with whom they live peacefully are corydoras, Apistogramma, discus, grouse, and Loricaridae. The diptail pencilfish lives in groups of a maximum of 10 fishes; they can either be of the same species or other similar species.
How long does a diptail pencilfish live?
The diptail pencilfish can live up to five years.
How do they reproduce?
Breeding diptail pencilfish (Nannostomus eques) is easy. Unlike many aquarium fishes, the diptail pencilfish do not necessarily need a separate tank for spawning.
If they get a perfect environment and water condition, breeding occurs in the aquarium itself. However, if you want to increase the production of fry, you can use separate tanks to breed them.
After conditioning the adults, a group consisting of two males and several females is introduced in the tank. After they breed, the females lay several eggs under the leaves of a submerged plant.
The adult males and females should be removed immediately after the eggs appear to reduce the chance of predation of eggs. Free swimming is spotted in the fry within five to six days after the eggs hatch.
What is their conservation status?
The conservation status of the diptail pencilfish of the Nannostomus genus has not been determined by the IUCN Red List. They are found abundantly in water regions with moderate temperature ranges. It is believed that the species do not face any threat of extinction in the near future.
Diptail Pencilfish Fun Facts
What do diptail pencilfish look like?
A diptail pencilfish is an elongated slender fish that belongs to the family of bony fishes. They have a shiny silver-gray appearance with a single dark brown stripe extending from the snout to the caudal fin.
Apart from that, they also have several prominent brown and silver stripes of the lateral parts of the body. Except for the silver stripe, five rows of black spots are present on each scale and black markings on the anal fin. In the males, the edge of the anal fin appears white.
It always keeps its mouth in an upward position. The male fish are slimmer and look brighter than the female fish.
How cute are they?
They look very beautiful and cute in aquariums.
How do they communicate?
There is no information about the communicative methods of the fish. Like most fishes, perhaps the diptail pencilfish also communicate by sound, physical displays, or electric impulses.
How big is a diptail pencilfish?
A diptail pencilfish can grow up to 2 in (5 cm). They are half-inch bigger in size than the neon tetras.
How fast can a diptail pencilfish swim?
The diptail pencilfish is a free swimmer like congo tetras. However, its speed is not determined.
How much does a diptail pencilfish weigh?
The weight of the diptail pencilfish is unknown.
What are the male and female names of the species?
The male and female fish do not have any particular name; they are called diptail pencilfish.
What would you call a baby diptail pencilfish?
A baby diptail pencilfish is called a fry.
What do they eat?
The diet of the species of diptail pencilfish includes small invertebrates and zooplankton. These carnivorous fish do not feed on algae. In captivity, their diet primarily consists of frozen food or dried food.
Are they aggressive?
No, they are not aggressive.
Would they make a good pet?
Yes, the diptail pencilfish are domesticated widely.
Did you know...
The species of diptail pencilfish show cryptic coloration; they can change their colors based on the light condition.
Characteristics and care
The brown pencilfish is a peaceful fish of freshwater. They are shy in nature but forms well-maintained social bonds with some fish species.
There are certain water conditions that need to be followed to keep a group of diptail pencilfish in aquariums. A well-planted aquarium with a rocky substrate is ideal for these fish.
It must be large enough for free swimming and preferably placed in a darker corner of the house. The adequate water temperature that facilitates spawning in the brown pencilfish species lies between a range of 79-82 F (26-28 C). The water in their aquarium needs to be filtered regularly.
Otherwise, it will hamper the breeding process of the fish. Lastly, adding floating plants to the pencil fish aquarium adds to the spontaneity of the captive environment.
Are pencilfish tetras?
No, pencilfish are not tetras but can live peacefully with one another. They belong to the family of characins.
Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! For more relatable content, check out these leopard catfish facts and huchen facts pages.
You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable fish coloring pages.
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