Genus · Killifish

Anablepsoides

Anablepsoides is a genus with 29 species in this atlas, catalogued in the Killifish section, recorded from Brazil, Peru, Colombia and 11 more countries. Adult sizes run from 1.5 in to 6 in. Every species below links to a full researched profile.

Species in atlas
29
Adult sizes
1.5–6 in
IUCN assessed
29 of 29 · 3 threatened
Recorded from
14 countries

About the genus

Anablepsoides is a genus of small, surface-oriented killifish in the family Rivulidae, historically grouped under the older name Rivulus before the neotropical rivulines were split apart by genus. The atlas covers 29 species, found across Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Suriname, Ecuador, Guyana, Venezuela, and Bolivia — broadly the Amazon basin and the Guiana Shield. They live in shallow forest streams, floodplain pools, and leaf-litter-choked backwaters, often in water that is soft, acidic, and shaded by rainforest canopy. Like most rivulines, they have an upturned mouth built for picking insects and other small prey from the surface film, and several species are capable of short jumps or brief excursions out of water when a pool shrinks or stagnates.

Few Anablepsoides reach the general aquarium trade, and the genus is mostly the province of dedicated killifish keepers rather than mainstream hobbyists. Anablepsoides hartii, the Hart's rivulus, is the best-known member — a hardy, adaptable species long studied in Trinidadian stream ecology — while species such as A. caurae, A. ornatus, and A. rubrolineatus turn up occasionally in specialist collections for their bold spotting and line patterns. Tanks for this genus are typically small, densely planted, and tightly covered, since these fish are strong jumpers. The atlas's IUCN tally spans the full range from Least Concern to Critically Endangered, with several species still unassessed, pointing to real gaps in what is known about status across this widely scattered genus.

IUCN Red List: Critically Endangered · 1 Endangered · 2 Near Threatened · 2 Least Concern · 14 Data Deficient · 3 Not Evaluated · 7

The 29 species

Every Anablepsoides recorded in this atlas. Each card links to a full researched profile — distribution, water parameters, and aquarium care, cited to primary sources.

(Huber, 1979)

2.5 in TL · LC

(Garman, 1895)

1.5 in TL · LC

(Huber, 1990)

2 in TL · LC

(Myers, 1927)

1.5 in TL · LC

(Radda, 2004)

Caura rivuline

2 in TL · DD

(Huber, 1979)

2.5 in TL · LC

(Seegers & Huber, 1981)

3.5 in TL · EN

(Seegers, 1983)

2.5 in TL · LC

(Fels & Huber, 1985)

2 in TL · NT

(Fink, 1971)

2 in TL · NT

(Keith, Le Bail & Planquette, 2000)

2.5 in TL · NE

(Boulenger, 1890)

Hart's rivulus, Jumping guabine

4.5 in TL · NE

(Huber, 1991)

6 in TL · LC

(Poeser, 1998)

1.5 in SL · NE

(Fels & de Rham, 1981)

3 in TL · LC

(Huber, 1992)

2 in SL · LC

(Hoedeman, 1962)

3 in TL · LC

(Berkenkamp, 1984)

3 in SL · LC

(Steindachner, 1863)

3 in TL · LC

(Staeck & Schindler, 1997)

1.5 in SL · DD

(Garman, 1895)

Ornate rivulus

1.5 in TL · LC

(Regan, 1903)

2 in TL · DD

(Fels & de Rham, 1981)

Redlined Rivulus

2.5 in TL · LC

(Fels & de Rham, 1981)

1.5 in TL · CR

(Eigenmann, 1909)

2.5 in TL · NE

(Meinken, 1952)

1.5 in SL · NE

(Günther, 1866)

3 in SL · NE

(Eigenmann, 1909)

3.5 in TL · NE

(Ahl, 1926)

3 in TL · EN

Explore further

How to cite

Aquarist Atlas (2026). Genus Anablepsoides. Aquarist Atlas. https://www.aquaristatlas.com/anablepsoides/

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