Celebes halfbeak

Nomorhamphus liemi is a livebearing halfbeak native to cool, fast-flowing highland streams of southern Sulawesi in Indonesia. It has an elongated body with a distinctive fleshy lower jaw, and males show colorful black-and-red trim on the beak and fins. A surface-oriented, top-dwelling fish, it appreciates a well-covered tank with gentle to moderate flow, cooler temperatures than most tropicals, and clean, well-oxygenated water. Keep it in small groups with more females than males to spread aggression, as males spar among themselves. It is a carnivore that favors live and frozen foods such as fruit flies, small insects, mosquito larvae, and bloodworms taken from the surface. Females give birth to relatively large, well-developed fry. Skittish by nature, it can leap, so a tight lid is essential.