Yellow rabbit characin

About

Found across several of South America's major river systems, the Amazon, Paraná-Paraguay, and São Francisco basins, Leporellus vittatus is an unusual member of the anostomus family. While most of its relatives are mid-water swimmers, this species has evolved a body shape suited to life on or near the riverbed in flowing water, and it behaves accordingly in the aquarium, spending most of its time around the substrate rather than cruising open water. It shows up in the hobby from time to time through export, though it's not especially common. Care is relatively straightforward in terms of water chemistry tolerance, and the species is considered manageable even for less experienced keepers. Provided the tank is large enough and stocked thoughtfully. That last point matters quite a bit: single specimens have a tendency toward aggression, especially against fish with a similar body shape, so keeping a group of six or more is strongly recommended. A pecking order will get established with some initial squabbling, but things generally settle down once the hierarchy is sorted out. Given its eventual size, this is not a fish for a typical community setup, but it works well alongside larger cichlids and catfishes that share similar water preferences. Breeding in captivity has not been documented, though in the wild pairs reportedly spawn in areas with dense vegetation.