Chela cachius

Neon Hatchet Fish
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Cypriniformes
Family:	Cyprinidae
Genus:	Chela
Species:	C. cachius
Binomial name
Chela cachius (F. Hamilton, 1822)
Synonyms
Cachius atpar (F. Hamilton, 1822) Chela anastoma (Swainson, 1839) Chela atpar (F. Hamilton, 1822) Cyprinus atpar F. Hamilton, 1822 Cyprinus cachius F. Hamilton, 1822 Laubuca atpar (F. Hamilton, 1822) Leuciscus anastoma Swainson, 1839 Leuciscus atpar (F. Hamilton, 1822) Leuciscus cachius (F. Hamilton, 1822) Paradanio elegans Day, 1867 Perilampus atpar (F. Hamilton, 1822) Perilampus cachius (F. Hamilton, 1822) Perilampus macropodus Jerdon, 1849 Perilampus psilopteromus McClelland, 1839

Chela cachius, a Danionin known as the Neon Hatchet Fish, is one of the plainest members of the Chela genus and is rarely kept by aquarists. Its name comes from the colours that reflect off it in sunlight, but out of the glare of the sun it is a plain silver fish. Barbels are not present. Endemic in South Asia, it is found in Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and Myanmar. Like most Danionins, this fish has a tendency to jump. A tight fitting lid with no gaps is recommended for keeping them captive.

Research in 2001 by Fang Fang suggests that the genus Chela is closely related to the Devarios.

• Maximum length: 2 in (6 cm)
• Colors: silver
• Temperature preference: 22-26 Celsius
• pH preference: typically 6.8-7.5
• Hardness preference: Soft to medium
• Salinity preference: Zero
• Compatibility: Suitable for mixing with other small fish
• Life span: Typically 1 to 3 years
• Ease of keeping: Moderate
• Ease of breeding: Moderate to hard

See also

• Danios

External links

• Chela cachius

References

• Froese, Rainer, and Daniel Pauly, eds. (2011). "Chela cachius" in FishBase. August 2011 version.
• Abstract of Fang, F., 2003. Phylogenetic analysis of the Asian cyprinid genus Danio (telesotei, Cyprinidae).. Copeia (4):714-728.