Ecological Risk Screening Summary - Marbled Hatchetfish (Carnegiella strigata) - Uncertain Risk

Species that are considered uncertain risk need a more in-depth assessment beyond the Risk Summary to better define the species’ risk to U.S. environments.

The Marbled Hatchetfish (Carnegiella strigata) is a species of fish native to the rivers of northern South America. This species consumes crustaceans and insects and can propel itself out of the water to avoid predation. The history of invasiveness for Carnegiella strigata is low. Carnegiella strigata is present in the pet trade and has been since at least 1971 (Chapman et al. 1997). In 1971, this species was 2% of the total ornamental fish imported into the United States (Chapman et al. 1997). In a single year Brazil exported 360,184 (Ibama 2008 in Tavares-Dias et al. 2009) individuals and Peru exported 404,292 individuals (Prang 2007). Other countries where this species is present also export for the aquarium trade. The climate match is medium with Florida having an individually high match. The certainty of assessment is high. There was adequate quality information available to be able to make a determination about the history of invasiveness and a detailed distribution. The overall risk assessment category is uncertain.