Dwarf pencilfish
Nannostomus marginatus
2.5 cm
Adult size
50 L
Minimum volume
6
Minimum group
4 years
Lifespan
Water parameters
Understand these values- Genus
- Nannostomus
- Diet
- carnivore
- Social life
- small group
In the wild
Overview
This tiny, stocky pencilfish, one of the smallest in the genus, remains popular. Together with N. mortenthaleri and N. rubrocaudatus, it forms a group of short-bodied species; it differs from them in having no colour difference between males and females.
- Scientific name
- Nannostomus marginatus Eigenmann, 1909
- Classification
- Characiformes › Lebiasinidae
- IUCN Red List
- Least concern (LC)
Natural habitat
Guyana, Suriname and the middle and lower Amazon basin in Peru, Colombia and Brazil
Observations (GBIF) and localities Native countries Rivers and lakes
It lives in slow tributaries, small rivers and marshes rich in plants, submerged wood and leaf litter, often in flooded forest and blackwater lakes: shallow, almost motionless water, very soft, pH 4 to 6, with small characins and Apistogramma.
Behaviour
Very peaceful but shy and tiny: not ideal in a community tank. Keep it with small, calm characins, Corydoras or small Loricariidae; it is a very good companion for dwarf cichlids, as it swims in the middle and top of the tank without hunting fry. Very gregarious: buy as many as possible. Fine dry food and small live or frozen prey every day.
Sources:FishBase Seriously Fish GBIF · Base map: Natural Earth