Four-eyed fish

The four-eyed fish or the four-eyed fish, scientific name Anableps anableps, belongs to the Anablepidae family. An extremely curious representative of tropical fish. Has an unusual eye structure. In reality, there are only two of them, like other animals, but each of them is divided into two zones, which allows you to simultaneously look up and down, under water and above water.

Such an adaptation helps the fish to search for food much more efficiently, in addition, it gives an additional advantage over predators, since its entire life is concentrated in the upper layers of the water, then threats lie in wait from two environments at once.

Requirements and conditions:

• The volume of the aquarium – from 200 liters.
• Temperature – 24-30°C
• Value pH — 7.0–8.5
• Water hardness – medium to hard (8-25 dGH)
• Substrate type – any
• Lighting – moderate
• Salt water – 1 gr. of salt per 1 liter of water
• Water movement is weak
• Size – up to 1425 cm.
• Nutrition – foods high in protein

Habitat

The four-eyed fish is common in the river systems of Central and South America, mainly in the mouths of rivers flowing into the sea. Most of life is concentrated in the upper layers of the water, hunting for small insects and crustaceans.

Food

The fish are carnivorous, so in a home aquarium, you should feed fresh, dry, frozen or live food such as bloodworms, mosquito larvae, large brine shrimp, etc. It is worth remembering that food will only be eaten if it floats on the surface of the water.

Maintenance and care

The pH and GH indicators are not so critical, the salinity level is much more important; when preparing water, salt should be dissolved in a proportion of 1 g. per 1 liter. Of the equipment, a simple airlift filter and heater are sufficient. Lighting system set to moderate light intensity.

It is advisable to fill the aquarium half or three-quarters and close it tightly to prevent the fish from jumping out. In decoration, use root plants that are resistant to salt. Four-Eyes must have room to swim. If they begin to cover the surface, then they should be shortened, trimmed. The soil and design of the lower tier of the aquarium is at the discretion of the aquarist. This fish has little interest in what is happening below.

Social behavior

Quite peaceful schooling fish, however, can eat small neighbors that can fit in her mouth. Prefers a company of his own kind, feels great in groups of 5-6 individuals. Compatible with species capable of living in brackish water and living in the middle or bottom water layer.

Breeding / breeding

The species reproduces quickly and does not require much effort from the aquarist. The fry appear already formed, without the caviar stage. The only condition is that after the appearance of juveniles, they should be removed to a separate tank, since parents can eat their own offspring.

Diseases

The four-eyed fish is extremely susceptible to bacterial infections that are difficult to cure. The reason lies in fluctuations in the concentration of salt in water due to evaporation. Read more about the symptoms and methods of treating diseases in the section “Diseases of aquarium fish”.