Name: Celebes Halfbeak

Scientific name: Nomorhamphus liemi liemi

Family:Hemiramphidae

Maximum size: 4 in (10 cm)

Origin: Southeastern Asia

Feeding: Flake, frozen, pellet, and live foods

Temp: 75-81°f (24-27°c)

PH: 6.5-8.0

Care: The Celebes halfbeak makes its home in shallow, freshwater, fast-flowing streams. Providing a current would be beneficial to this fish. They are a great community fish, and can be kept with other livebearers, as well as colisa, corydoras, and Celebes rainbowfish. A ratio of 1 male to 2-3 females is best to prevent fighting, and a group of no less than 5 is recommended. Like the wrestling halfbeak, tank depth is unimportant. It should be at least 36" long, with plenty of plants and floating plants. Unlike the wrestling halfbeak, it does not like salt added to the water. They can be sensitive to changing water conditions, and water parameters should be monitored carefully. They are omnivorous, and should be fed a wide variety of foods, including live.

Feeding: Flake, frozen, pellet, and live foods

Breeding: Breeding of the Celebes halfbeak is easier than of the wrestling halfbeak. The male is smaller and slimmer than the female, as well as being more vividly colored and having a gonopodium. Condition potential parents with Artemia, Drosophila , and mosquito larvae. The water parameters should be as follows: pH 6.5, temperature 75°F-79°F, dH 4-6. The female will carry the fertilized eggs for about 6-8 weeks. Only 9-18 fry will be born per brood, at an impressive 1" at birth. It is necessary to remove either the fry or the parents, or the fry will be eaten. Feed fry with Artemia and powdered foods.

Comments: The Celebes halfbeak is the largest of the freshwater halfbeaks. It is also sometimes called the beakless halfbeak, since the lower jaw curls around under the head, pointing back towards the body. The body is silver-brown, with red, black-fringed fins. They are found in Sulawesi, also known as Celebes. Females grow to 4", while the males generally only grow to 2.7". There is a sub-species of this halfbeak, the Nomorhamphus liemi snijdersi, which is found in central Sulawesi. It differs in that it has more black, and less red coloring.

This post has been edited by Grim Reaper: Nov 27 2004, 01:05 PM

Although not the same species, I have 14 baby Nomorhamphus ebrardtii in my tank at the moment. They managed to avoid being eaten by hiding amongs some floating Ceratophyllum. The parents won't swim into this stuff, and the babys lurk on top of the leaves just under the surface of the water.

As Grim Reaper says, they're pretty big babies, about 13 mm long.

Mine will not eat flake or brine shrimp; I have tried frozen brine shrimp, live brine shrimp, and live brine shrimp nauplii.

What they do eat are frozen lobster eggs and frozen black mosquito larvae.

They eat live Daphnia only grudgingly, and don't seem very keen on frozen bloodworms either.

Cheers,

Neale