hatchet fish

(pronunciation: the  first ‘t’ is silent)

There are two types of hatchet fish:

(A) marine hatchet fish and

(B) freshwater hatchet fish.  These two are not related to each other.

(A)

marine hatchet fish are odd looking deep sea fish with bones and fins – sizes vary widely: from 1½ inch to 1 foot long (some can grow up to 2 feet); a laterally compressed body with silvery scales, large eyes permanently fixed upwards, a wide mouth also turned upwards; large, wide head and middle part of the body and long narrow end and tail part; feeds on (eats) plankton (= tiny plant-like living things) and small fish; about 45 species found on the bottom of almost all the oceans

Special Features:

Hatchet fish are very odd-looking fish!

They have light producing (luminous) organs on the bottom side of their body, which they glow so that their predators (the other fish or animals that try to eat them) cannot see them from below!

They are called ‘hatchet fish’ because they have large laterally compressed body with the head and abdomen wide and end and tail part long and narrow which make these fish look like a hatchet.

(B)

freshwater hatchet fish – small bony finned fish – grows to 2.5 inches on average (some species can grow up to 10 inches); silvery scales; with head and middle part of the body laterally compressed and long and narrow end and tail part; large, powerful wings on either side of the body (along with other fins); feeds on (eats) insects and insect eggs and larvae, swimming just below the water surface; originally from Panama and some parts of South America

Some common freshwater hatchet fish are: common hatchet fish, marbled hatchet fish, silver hatchet fish, winged disc

Special Features:

Freshwater hatchet fish are popular pet fish.  The ‘common freshwater hatchet’ is favoured by many aquarium hobbyists.

Besides, the freshwater hatchet has a unique feature (‘unique’ = only one of its kind; not found anywhere else) of flying!

It jumps out of water and by flapping the large strong side fins, it can fly in the air above the water surface for short distances Though the other fish, such as flying fish, can glide or jump longer distances in the air, they are not ‘true flyers’ and they cannot flap their wings like a bird. Only the freshwater hatchet can fly in the true sense!!

a hatchet — a chopping or cutting tool

These fish are called ‘hatchet’ because of the shape of the body which looks like a ‘hatchet’ (= a cutting or chopping tool that looks like an axe).

The bottom and tail part of this fish are transparent which make this fish a popular pet fish!

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