any of several slender South American fishes belonging to three groups of characins (characin), treated by some authorities as three separate families and by others as a single family, Characidae. Pencil fish pick animal food from the bottom or from plant surfaces. Most species inhabit slow-moving water and all live in fresh water. Some habitually swim at an angle, tail down, others horizontally, and still others tail up.

The larger pencil fish grow to somewhat over 20 cm (8 inches) long and include well-known aquarium fishes as Anostomus anostomus (family Anostomidae) and various species of Hemiodus (family Hemiodontidae). Several species of pygmy pencil fish belong to the genus Nannostomus (family Lebiasinidae) and reach a length of 2.5 to 4 cm (1 to 2 inches). N. eques, N. beckfordi, and N. marginatus are common aquarium species.