Magnificent and ground tetra

Magnificent and ground tetra
Spotted tetra ( Crenuchus spilurus )
Systematics
Overcohort : Clupeocephala Cohort : Otomorpha Sub-cohort : Ostariophysi Otophysa Order : Tetras (Characiformes) Family : Magnificent and ground tetra
Scientific name
Crenuchidae
Günther , 1864

The black tetra and ground tetra (Crenuchidae) are a family of tetras (Characiformes) from the tropical waters of South America (such as the Amazon and Rio Negro) and eastern Panama ( Río Tuira ).

Green-spotted tetra ( Poecilocharax weitzmani )

Characidium fasciatum

features

They are small, two to ten centimeters, partly reminiscent of loaches . The body is more or less stretched and not or only slightly flattened on the sides. The ventral side is flat. Magnificent and ground tetra are usually of a simple color. Often a dark longitudinal band runs along the flanks. The paired fins are relatively large, the dorsal fin often starts over the middle of the body. It is short to moderately long, the anal fin shorter than the dorsal fin. An adipose fin is usually present, the caudal fin incised. The premaxillary is covered with a series of slender, mostly three-pointed teeth. The small maxillary can be edentulous or edentulous. The dental has two rows of teeth, a dense row of single or conical teeth in the front and a row of conical teeth in the back.

Way of life

Blue tetra and ground tetra are not swarms, but territorial and occupy small areas in stagnant or slowly flowing waters with sandy or muddy bottoms. With the exception of a few species (e.g. Characidium rachovii ) they live close to or directly on the bottom of the water and move jerkily over short distances, taking pauses again and again, during which they lean on the pair of fins and lift their heads a little. They mainly feed on insects.

Systematics

There are two subfamilies (formerly regarded as independent families) with twelve genera over 80 species:

• Family tetra and ground tetra (Crenuchidae)
  • Subfamily Prachtsalmler (Crenuchinae)
    • Genus Crenuchus
    • Genus Poecilocharax
  • Subfamily Bodensalmler (Characidiinae) ( Panama to Northern Argentina )
    • Genus Ammocryptocharax
    • Genus Characidium
    • Genus Elachocharax
    • Genus Geryichthys
    • Genus Klausewitzia
    • Genus Leptocharacidium
    • Genus Melanocharacidium
    • Genus Microcharacidium
    • Genus Odontocharacidium
    • Genus Skiotocharax

literature

• Joseph S. Nelson : Fishes of the World . John Wiley & Sons., 2006, ISBN 0-471-25031-7 .
• Günther Sterba : The world's freshwater fish. 2nd Edition. Urania, Leipzig / Jena / Berlin 1990, ISBN 3-332-00109-4 .
• Günther Sterba (Ed.), Gert Brückner: Encyclopedia of Aquaristics and Special Ichthyology. Neumann-Neudamm, Melsungen u. a. 1978, ISBN 3-7888-0252-9 .
• Axel Zarske: Crenuchidae. In: Claus Schaefer, Torsten Schröer (Hrsg.): The large lexicon of aquaristics. 2 volumes. Eugen Ulmer, Stuttgart 2004, ISBN 3-8001-7497-9 , p. 286.

Web links

Commons : Pracht- und Bodensalmler  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

• Black tetra and ground tetra on Fishbase.org (English)

Individual evidence