Home / Fishes / Damselfish and dottybacks / Humphead Glassfish
No federal permit to keepHumphead Glassfish
Parambassis pulcinella
Fishes › Damselfish and dottybacks (Ovalentaria) › Ambassidae (Glassfish)
Chanda pulcinella, the humphead glassfish or humphead perchlet, is a species of Asiatic glassfish native to fast-flowing streams in the Ataran basin (itself a part of the Salween basin) in southeast Myanmar and west Thailand.
Care at a glance
Species-specific aquarium care
- Tank: At least 24 in long and 12 in front to back for one adult (adults commonly reach about 3.1 in / 7.97 cm).
- Water: Freshwater.
- Layout: An open-water swimmer: needs long, open swimming space with few obstacles.
Calculated from this species' own FishBase record: tank size from its typical adult length and swimming zone, water values from its recorded ranges. The group guide below fills in general care.
Care guide
Species care notes
- Tank: a base of at least 35 × 12 in (roughly 21 US gallons); space needed is rated “large tank”.
- Water: a fairly wide range, from slightly acidic to slightly alkaline, 73–81 °F, pH 7–7.5, 8–15 dGH.
- Behaviour: temperament peaceful.
- Difficulty: Moderate (Seriously Fish rating).
Short excerpts from the species profile:
- Diet: “It will accept dried pellets or flakes, but these should be supplemented with regular feedings of live and frozen foods such as bloodworm and brineshrimp.”
- Tankmates: “A peaceful species but it might intimidate small fish with it's active nature and adult size.”
- Breeding: “Has not yet been achieved in aquaria.”
From the Seriously Fish profile for this species, which has the full habitat, maintenance, diet, behaviour and breeding write-up 167
Glassfish
Applies to most species in this group. Habitat: Indian glassfish inhabit slow or still water, whereas humphead glassfish inhabit clear, fast, well-oxygenated freshwater streams with rocky substrates in Myanmar. [fg243-ranga, fg243-pulcinella]. Individual species can differ, so compare with the species numbers above and the linked sources.
Housing & setup
- For Parambassis ranga, provide at least 80 × 30 × 30 cm (about 31 × 12 × 12 inches).
- For P. pulcinella, provide at least 90 × 30 × 30 cm (about 36 × 12 × 12 inches).
- Give shy P. ranga a dark substrate, densely planted refuges and floating vegetation.
- Match flow to species: calm refuges for P. ranga and well-oxygenated water for stream-dwelling P. pulcinella.
- Maintain freshwater P. pulcinella at pH 7.0–7.5; P. ranga's cited range is pH 6.5–8.0.
Diet
- Appropriately sized quality flakes or pellets.
- Live or frozen bloodworms.
- Live or frozen brine shrimp.
Social life
- Keep P. ranga in groups of at least six with peaceful companions. P. pulcinella can be grouped but may chase conspecifics and intimidate smaller fish.
Health watch
- Ammonia-related illness in inadequately established aquariums.
- Nutritional deficiencies from an unsuitable diet.
- Infectious skin or gill disease introduced by unquarantined stock.
Understanding the animal
About this animal
About this animal
It reaches a length of 10 cm (3.9 in) and is sometimes seen in the aquarium trade.
Quoted from the Wikipedia article “Chanda pulcinella” (CC BY-SA 4.0) 174
In the wild
In the wild
From this species’ own FishBase record (habitat, bottom type, water and breeding data), not its family. Good care copies these conditions.1
| Where it lives | Lives in freshwater. Probably occurring in large streams with clear water, near rapids or large riffles. |
| Water it lives in | Freshwater. |
| Climate | Tropical climate. |
From the sources
From the sources
Quoted from the matching sections of reputable sources for this exact species. Specialist databases are used first; Wikipedia (community-edited, CC BY-SA 4.0) only fills gaps. Other sources are short credited quotes.
| Overview | Chanda pulcinella, the humphead glassfish or humphead perchlet, is a species of Asiatic glassfish native to fast-flowing streams in the Ataran basin (itself a part of the Salween basin) in southeast Myanmar and west Thailand. It reaches a length of 10 cm and is sometimes seen in the aquarium trade. — Wikipedia (community-edited) |
| Where it lives | Home ranges Population dynamics Growth parameters Max. ages / sizes Length-weight rel. Length-frequencies Mass conversion Recruitment Abundance Life cycle Reproduction Maturity Maturity/Gills rel. — FishBase |
| Appearance and size | Like other glass perch, Chanda pulcinella is largely colorless and transparent. It grows to 8 cm in length and has a prominent hump in front of the first dorsal fin formed by a very long, thin outgrowth of the supraoccipital spine. The supraoccipital is a central, dorsal ossification on the occipital bone. — Wikipedia (community-edited) |
| Biology | Probably occurring in large streams with clear water, near rapids or large riffles. — FishBase |
| History and naming | The specific name alludes to Pulcinella, the humpback from the comedia dell'arte. — Wikipedia (community-edited) |
Data and studies
The numbers
The numbers
Each bar is what one source reports. Where several sources weigh in, the dashed gold band marks their average.
Adult length
Maximum recorded length. Measured as standard length (snout to the base of the tail, not counting the tail fin). Fish in home aquariums often stay smaller than wild records.
Water temperature
Range the species tolerates; aim for the middle.
pH
Water hardness
Minimum tank footprint
Seriously Fish recommends a tank base of at least 35 × 12 in (about 21 US gallons).
Sources for this sheet
- FishBase (Froese & Pauly, eds.), version 24.07 Peer-reviewed researchThe global scientific database on fishes, maintained by a consortium of research institutions; every value is referenced.
- Seriously Fish species profiles Experienced keeper or breederLong-running aquarium reference written and peer-checked by experienced fishkeepers and ichthyologists; each profile covers habitat, tank size, water, diet, behaviour and breeding.
- Seriously Fish: Indian Glass Fish (Parambassis ranga) Experienced keeper or breederAdded in the 2026 source-checked care-guide review.
- Seriously Fish: Parambassis pulcinella Experienced keeper or breederAdded in the 2026 source-checked care-guide review.
- Merck Veterinary Manual: Disorders and Diseases of Fish Zoo, university or veterinaryAdded in the 2026 source-checked care-guide review.
- Wikipedia (species article) Community referenceFree encyclopedia; useful overviews with their own citations. Intro text is quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0.
