Marbled Headstander care guide
Marbled Headstander (Abramites hypselonotus) — minimum tank 200 L, temperature 22-28 °C, pH 6-7.5.
Compiled by Aquairi from published sources · Published · Updated
Overview
The Marbled Headstander (Abramites hypselonotus) is a deep-bodied anostomid from northern South America, recognised by alternating dark and light vertical bars and a characteristic head-down swimming posture.
Taxonomy
- Family: Anostomidae
- Genus: Abramites
- Scientific name: Abramites hypselonotus
Habitat
Native to slow- to moderately flowing tributaries of the Amazon and Orinoco river basins in Brazil, Colombia and Venezuela, often among submerged branches and overhanging vegetation.
Tank requirements
- Minimum tank volume: 200 L (52.8 US gal)
- Adult size: 12-15 cm
- Temperature: 22-28 °C (72-82 °F)
- pH: 6-7.5
- GH: 4-15 °dGH
- Water flow: moderate
- Lifespan: 5-8 years
Diet
An omnivore with a strong vegetarian leaning. Offer flakes, pellets, blanched vegetables (zucchini, spinach) and occasional live or frozen invertebrates. Soft aquarium plants will be grazed.
Compatibility
A semi-aggressive species. Keep singly or in a large group (six or more) to disperse intraspecific aggression; small groups often produce a dominant aggressor. Compatible with robust mid- and large-sized peaceful species in a 200 L+ aquarium.
Breeding
Captive breeding is rarely reported and is largely confined to commercial aquaculture.
Marbled Headstander (Abramites hypselonotus) Breeding Guide
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.