Chela is a genus of small cyprinid fish native to slow-flowing rivers, streams and floodplain waters of South Asia - the atlas's 3 species (C. cachius, C. kaladanensis, C. macrolepis) come from India, Bangladesh, Myanmar and Pakistan and range 1.5–4 in. They share a laterally compressed, hatchet-shaped body with a strongly upturned mouth and a straight belly profile, an unrelated but convergent solution to surface feeding also seen in South America's true hatchetfishes. Chela swim near the surface in loose schools, taking insects and other small prey from the water's film, and their thin, silvery bodies with a dark lateral stripe are typical of open-water cyprinids that rely on shoaling for protection.
The silver hatchet barb (C. cachius) is the species most likely to turn up in the aquarium trade, sold as a peaceful, active schooling fish for community tanks, though supply is inconsistent and it is easily confused with related surface-dwelling cyprinids such as Salmostoma and Securicula that share the same hatchet-shaped body plan. C. kaladanensis and C. macrolepis are little known outside ichthyological surveys. Conservation status is mixed across the genus: C. cachius is Least Concern, while C. macrolepis has been assessed Endangered, reflecting pressure on the smaller river systems where it occurs.