Bony fish · Cyprinodontiformes · Anablepidae

Four-eyed

Anableps anableps

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

The four-eyed fish is a surface-dwelling fish of up to 30 cm that lives in estuaries and mudflats in northern South America. It does not have four eyes: each eye is divided horizontally by a band of tissue, so that the upper half looks into the air and the lower half into the water, and the animal swims with the dividing line exactly at the surface, seeing what happens above and below at the same time. It hunts insects, small crustaceans and fish, and also swallows mud to make use of the diatoms in it. It is live-bearing, and the young are already some 5 cm long at birth.

Weight

up to 400 g

Size

up to 30 cm

Diet

Omnivore

Combines animal and plant food depending on availability.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

FreshwaterOmnivore Fish Freshwater

12countries 8parks

Fun facts

anatomíaIts eyes are divided in two, letting it see above and below the surface at the same time.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (bony fish)
Habitat & environment: Estuaries, mangroves and intertidal mudflats along the Atlantic coast of northern South America; it enters and stays for long periods in stretches of fresh water
Size at birth: 4.5-5.2 cm in total length
Sexual maturity: Length at first maturity 13 cm

Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anableps_anableps