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Animal World > Freshwater Fish > Characins

Characins

Characin Varieties

Sub-order: Characoidei Picture of a Lemon Tetra

Lemon Tetra Hyphessobrycon pulchripinnis Photo © Animal-World.com: Courtesy David Brough

Click on the small images in each category below to access each type of Characin.

Tetras
Hatchetfish
Pencilfish
More Characins (Silver Dollar, Headstander, Leporinus)

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Hatchetfish are known to break the surface of the water and "fly" after their prey using their large pectoral fins as "wings"!

Most Characins are schooling fish so they do better in a community aquarium with lots of buddies to hang out with. Apart from the predatory species such as the Piranhas, most Characins are peaceful even though many are carnivores. The herbivorous Characins are known as Limnivores or mud-eaters.

More about Characins: Description, Care & Feeding, and Breeding:

For more Information on keeping freshwater fish see:
Guide to a Happy, Healthy Freshwater Aquarium

Black Neon Tetra	Black Phantom Tetra
TETRAS
Hyphessobrycon herbertaxelrodi	Megalamphodus megalopterus

Blackskirt Tetra ~ Black Widow	Blackskirt Hifin Tetra
Gymnocorymbus ternetzi	Gymnocorymbus ternetzi (var)

Colored Skirt Tetra	Bleeding Heart Tetra
Gymnocorymbus ternetzi (Var)	Hyphessobrycon erythrostigma

Bloodfin Tetra	Buenos Aires Tetra
Aphyocharax anisitsi	Hyphessobrycon anisitsi

Cardinal Tetra	Congo Tetra
Paracheirodon axelrodi	Phenocogrammus interruptus

Diamond Tetra ~ Pittier's Tetra	Flame Tetra ~ Fire Tetra ~ Von Rio Tetra
Moenkhausia pitteri	Hyphessobrycon flammeus

Glow-light Tetra	Golden Tetra
Hemigrammus erythrozonus	Hemmigrammus rodwayi

Lemon Tetra	Neon Tetra
Hyphessobrycon pulchripinnis	Paracheirodon innesi

Ornate Tetra ~ White Tip Tetra	Rosy Tetra
Hyphessobrycon bentosi	Hyphessobrycon rosaceus

Rummynose-Tetra	Serpae Tetra ~ Red Minor Tetra
Hemigrammus bleheri	Hyphessobrycon serpae

White Tetra, Goldskirt Tetra	X-Ray Fish ~ Pristella Tetra (Golden)
Gymnocorymbus ternetzi (var)	Pristella maxillaris

Red-eye Tetra Yellow-banded Moenkhausia
Moenkhausia sanctaefilomenae

Don't see your favorite Tetra here?
Send us a a picture and/or description and we'll try to include it!
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Common or Silver Hatchetfish	Marbled Hatchetfish
HATCHETFISH
Gasteropelecus sternicla	Carnegiella strigata

PENCILFISH
Red Arc Pencilfish
Nannostomus mortenthaleri

African Tiger Fish	Black Pacu ~ Tambaqui
MORE CHARACINS
Hydrocynus vittatus	Colossoma macropomum

Banded Leporinus	Headstander
Leporinus fasciatus	Anostomus ternetzi

Longsnout (Long Nosed) Distichodus	Payara ~ Vampire Characin
Distichodus lusosso	Got a picture? Submit Your Picture Here Vampire Characin Hydrolycus scomberoides

Payara ~ Sabertooth Characin	Red Tail Barracuda
Hydrolycus armatus	Acestrorhynchus falcatus

Silver Dollar
Metynnis argenteus

Don't see your favorite Characin fish here?
Send us a a picture and/or description and we'll try to include it!
~ Submit it Here ~

Description:
Characins are found in Central America, South America and Africa. They are considered by some to be the most ancient fishes in the order of Cypriniformes. The fact that they are in both the Americas and Africa is considered proof that the two global continents were once joined! This means that Characins originated before the land masses split in Mesozoic times, some 80 to 150 million years ago. Currently there are about 1000 species in the Americas and about 200 species in Africa along with many species that are not yet discovered.

A visual clue to a Characin is the adipose fin which has an unknown purpose. There are several genera which have no adipose fin, and several catfish that also have an adipose fin. All the Characins have teeth and scales and none of them have barbels or whiskers.

Care and feeding:
In the aquarium Characins usually prefer clear, slightly acidic water with strong currents and highly oxygenated water provided by a strong filter and good surface movement. Most will eat a tropical flake food which contains both proteins and vegetable. You can supplement this with additional proteins such as blackworms, bloodworms, or even brine shrimp for those that are carnivorous.

Breeding:
See Breeding Freshwater Fish for a more information.

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