Despite its extensive natural distribution S. lilith is uncommon in the ornamental trade, where it is sometimes referred to as ‘one-spotted demon fish’ or ‘one spot eartheater’.

It can be distinguished from other members of the genus by possessing a single dark blotch on the flank and a prominent ocellus at the caudal-fin base. Among the named species it is most similar to S. daemon, but that species possesses two blotches on the flank.

Prior to description C. kanei was assigned the ‘C’ numbers C026 and C046.

Among congeners it is most easily-confused with, and sometimes traded as, C. atropersonatus, but can be identified by presence (vs. absence in C. atropersonatus) of dark markings in the anal and caudal fins, presence of numerous, smaller (vs. fewer, larger) dark spots on the body, and an overall darker (vs. paler) base colouration.

An obligate predator by nature, but captive specimens readily accept strips of white fish, whole shrimp, earthworms, and similar once they are recognised as food.

Adult individuals are unlikely to require feeding on a daily basis with 1-2 meals per week sufficient.

This species is known from the rio Negro within the Brazilan Amazon basin and upper Río Orinoco system in Venezuela.

Type locality is ‘Rio Adujá, Rio Itú, tributary of middle Rio Negro, Amazonia, Brazil’.

I. geisleri is typically exported for the aquarium trade alongside the similar-looking congener I. adujai (Géry, 1970) but can be identified by presence (vs. absence in I. adujai) of a black lateral stripe on the body beneath the red stripe, and possession of 20-25 (vs. 28-34) anal-fin rays.

Mostly collected in the in the rio Negro basin, Amazonas state, Brazil, and in particular the rio Demini, a northern tributary flowing into the central Negro in the municipality of Barcelos.

P. leopardus was described from the Rupununi River in Guyana and the identity of this fish thus remains unconfirmed.

This ‘species’ is also traded simply as ‘leo…

Gasteropelecids are commonly-referred to as ‘freshwater hatchetfishes’ due to their heavily-keeled body shape which has evolved in such a way due to possessing an enlarged, heavily-muscled pectoral girdle, and which resembles the shape of a hatchet head.

They are sometimes said to be capable of propelled flight above the water surface by beating their pectoral fins but in fact this is not the case and was disproven by Wiest (1995) who used…

This species is largely unsuitable for the home aquarium given its eventual size and natural behaviour, and we know of only a handful of private aquarists with the facilities required to house it long-term.

Nonetheless juveniles and subadults are sometimes available in the trade although often misidentified as the congener B. maculata.

Both species also possesses a broader dark midlateral stripe on the body which tends to be more well-defined in B. lateristriga than in B. maculata.

Colour pattern in B. maculata varies considerably with some specimens noticeably paler than others, for example, and the the broad midlateral stripe usually less intense in such individuals.

This does not app…