Common Hatchetfish

Fish that glides through the air!

This fish can almost fly! It has pectoral fins on its body that look like wings. When it has to flee danger, it pushes with its fins and jumps above the water’s surface. There it can glide through the air for several metres! So if you have any common hatchetfish in your aquarium, it might be a good idea to be careful when you lift the lid of the aquarium. 

Swims near the surface

The common hatchetfish or river hatchetfish is most easily recognised by its long, rounded, hanging belly. It lives in shoals (groups) in slowly running water in areas of rainforest. The common hatchetfish swims close to the surface and mostly eats insects that have fallen down onto the water’s surface.