TAXONOMY
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes)
Order: Cyprinodontiformes (Rivulines, killifishes and live bearers)
Family: Anablepidae (Four-eyed fishes, onesided livebearers)

Genus/species: Anableps sp.   (Anableps, means upward-looking)

 

GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS: Eyes raised above the top of the head and divided in two different parts, so that they can see below and above the water surface at the same time. Fewer than 80 scales in row above lateral line.

Average length : 14.0 cm (5.5 inches)

DISTRIBUTION/HABITAT: They are found in South America: Trinidad to the Amazon delta in Brazil mainly found in freshwater, sometimes in brackish parts of lagoons and mangrove coastlines

 

DIET IN THE WILD: Four-eyed Fish spend most of their time at the surface of the water. Their diet mostly consists of terrestrial insects which are readily available at the surface and other invertebrates and diatoms living on the mud, and small fishes.

REMARKS: Anableps sp. can remain on mud bottom exposed to air during low tide.

References

California Academy of Sciences Steinhart Aquarium Flooded Amazon 2018

Ron’s flickr  http://www.flickr.com/photos/cas_docents/8485216682/in/set-72157608614099673

Ron’s WordPress Shortlink  http://wp.me/p1DZ4b-QU

fishbase www.fishbase.org/summary/Anableps-anableps.html

Encyclopedia of life eol.org/pages/26824/overview