headstander, any of several fishes of the family Anostomidae (order Characiformes). All species are small, reaching a maximum length of 20 cm (8 inches), and are confined to freshwater habitats in South America. The name headstander comes from their habit of swimming at an angle, with the head pointed down, as they feed off the bottom. The striped headstander (Anostomus anostomus) has two yellowish orange stripes on each side alternating with black ones. The tail and all fins are bright orange. Some species of headstanders are kept as aquarium fish.