SYN: None PD: a disc-shaped fish with an arched back and a deep body. The dorsal fin is large and tall. The body ranges in color, depending on the light, from violet to copper. The belly is lighter in color, sometimes yellow. Just behind the gill cover, there is a shiny copper marking. The upper part of the iris is red and the mouth is turned upwards. The fins are transparent. Near the base of the tail is a copper colored line that extends midway across the body. Below this is a thick black band. SIZE: To 2.5" (6.4 cm) SS: None HAB: South America; shaded creeks, brooks, and river bends in Peruvian Amazon near Iquitos. S: middle TANK: 16" (40 cm) or 5 gallons (19 L). The tank requirements are the same as H. ocellifer . WATER: pH 5-7 (6.6), 4-15 dH (8), 72-82°F (22-28°C) SB: A peaceful schooling fish recommended for a community tank. Occasionally males may hassle gravid females in bare tank with no hiding places. SC: See H. ocellifer. FOOD: Flake; live; insect larvae, Brine Shrimp, Tubifex, small aquatic insects. SEX: The male is smaller, slenderer, and has a pointed swim bladder. B: This fish can be difficult to breed in that pairs do not always spawn together. The male should be replaced if this happens. Once a pair is established they can be very prolific. These fish tend to spawn in slightly warmer, soft, acidic water. Spawning takes place among plants, and eggs are dropped. Remove the parents. The eggs hatch in 20-25 hours and the fry are free-swimming after 2-3 days. Start feeding with small live foods. BP: 8. The Pretty Tetra is a difficult fish to breed. R: This species is not common in the hobby as other Hemigrammus species. There are two sub-species. DC: 2. The Pretty Tetra is a hardy fish, excellent for the beginning aquariast. Recent articles about fish Overfishing may hurt Amazon forest trees (2/5/2008) Overfishing is reducing the effectiveness of seed dispersal by fish in the Brazilian Pantanal, reports Nature. The research suggests that fishing practices can affect forest health. Scientists find fish that literally lives in trees (10/17/2007) Scientists have found a fish that literally lives in trees, according to research published in The American Naturalist and highlighted in New Scientist Magazine. Piranhas originated when Amazon was flooded by seawater (12/4/2007) South America's piranha family of fish -- notorious as eaters of flesh -- can be traced back to a single ancestor which dispersed when the Amazon was flooded by seawater some five million years ago, report researchers from the Institut de Recherche Pour le Developpement (IRD). Today piranhas are exclusively freshwater fish found from the Orinoco River basin in Venezuela to the Parana in Argentina. |
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Copyright Rhett Butler 1994-2009 The copy for fish.mongabay.com was written in 1994-1995. Therefore some information such as scientific names may be out of date. For this, I apologize. Feel free to send corrections to me. |
