Common hatchetfish

Common hatchetfish
Gasteropelecus sternicla
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1) [1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Characiformes
Family:	Gasteropelecidae
Genus:	Gasteropelecus
Species:	G. sternicla
Binomial name
Gasteropelecus sternicla (Linnaeus, 1758)
Synonyms [2]
Clupea sternicla Linnaeus, 1758 Salmo gasteropelecus Pallas, 1770 Gasteropelecus argenteus Lacepède, 1803 Gasteropelecus coronatus W. R. Allen, 1942 Gasteropelecus sternicla marowini Hoedeman, 1952 Gasteropelecus sternicla morae Hoedeman, 1952

Cuyuni fish (Gasteropelecus sternicula) of Guyana

The common hatchetfish or river hatchetfish (Gasteropelecus sternicla) is a species of freshwater ray-finned fish belonging to the family Gasteropelecidae, the freshwater hatchetfishes. This fish occurs in South America where it is found in the drainage basins of the Amazon, Orinoco, Essequibo, Tocantins-Araguaia, Mearim, upper Paraguay river basins, and in the coastal drainages in Guianas. It has been recorded from Bolivia. Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname and Trinidad.

See also

• List of freshwater aquarium fish species

References

1. Salvador, G.N. (2023). "Gasteropelecus sternicla". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2023: e.T49830551A186970746. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2023-1.RLTS.T49830551A186970746.en . Retrieved 16 August 2025.
2. Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Species in the genus Gasterppelecus". Catalog of Fishes . California Academy of Sciences . Retrieved 16 August 2025.

• "Gasteropelecus sternicla". Integrated Taxonomic Information System . Retrieved October 29, 2004.
• Froese, Rainer, and Daniel Pauly, eds. (2004). Gasteropelecus sternicla in FishBase . August 2004 version.