Marbled Headstander (Abramites hypselonotus) Breeding Guide

Breeding Abramites hypselonotus: a head-down anostomid from the Amazon and Orinoco whose captive reproduction is undocumented, with adults aggressive toward conspecifics.

Overview

Abramites hypselonotus, the marbled headstander, is an anostomid inhabiting streams and rivers of the Orinoco and Amazon river systems, reaching about 13 cm (5 inches) in length (Wikipedia). It is a predominantly herbivorous, head-down swimming fish; in the wild headstanders are often found face down, tail up, in narrow vertical rocky fissures (Wikipedia).

Sexing

According to Wikipedia, males are more contrasted in pattern than females. No further reliable sexing characters were present in the opened source.

Breeding Setup

Wikipedia provides no breeding, spawning or reproduction information for this species, so a reliable home-aquarium spawning setup cannot be described. Its diet is predominantly herbivorous, including plants, lettuce and peas (Wikipedia).

Common Challenges

Captive reproduction is undocumented (Wikipedia). A further complication is social behaviour: juveniles are docile, but adults become aggressive toward conspecifics in small groups, so Wikipedia recommends keeping a single fish or a group of seven or more, which makes pairing for breeding difficult.