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Characins
/ Characinae / Flag Tetra
Flag Tetra, Belgian Flag Tetra
Hyphessobrycon heterorhabdus | Pictures
SYN: Tetragonopterus
heterorhabdus,
Hemigrammus heterorhabdus
PD: Laterally compressed body. The back is brownish black to silver, while the belly is
silver. A black band extends from the gill cover through the tail. Above is and iridescent green to yellow stripe.
Above this stripe is an orange line. The iris is orange to red.
SIZE: To 2" (5 cm)
SS:
Ulrey's Tetra ( Hemigrammus
ulreyi), Black-lined Tetra (
Hyphessobrycon scholzei), Vilma's Tetra
( H. vilmae
)
HAB: South America; Rio Tocantins, Lower Amazon
S: middle
TANK: 20" (50 cm) or 10 gallons (38 L).
As for other
Hyphessobrycon species; see the genus description.
WATER: pH 5.5-7.5 (6.7), 5-15 dH (7), 72-82°F (22-28°C)
SB: A peaceful, schooling fish that is recommended for a community tank.
These fish only do well in groups, single
specimen often die.
SC: Tetras, Corydoras,
Apistogramma, Loricarids, Discus,
Colisa.
FOOD: Flake; live; insect larvae, Brine Shrimp,
Tubifex.
SEX: Females are plumper and larger
B: Difficult. Use a breeding tank with a pH of 6.0, a water hardness of 4 dH, and a temperature
of 82°F (28°C)
100-200 eggs are laid and the fry hatch after 30-36 hours. The eggs are susceptible to
fungus and the fry often get diseases.
The young do not readily take food, but try crushed flake and small
live foods.
BP: 8.
A challenging fish to breed.
R: This fish was first introduced in 1910.
DC: 4. The Flag Tetra is not as hardy as most other tetras, because it is susceptible to
disease.
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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