The redeye tetra (''Moenkhausia sanctaefilomenae''), is a species of

tetra Terrestrial Trunked Radio (TETRA; formerly known as Trans-European Trunked Radio), a European standard for a trunked radio system, is a professional mobile radio and two-way transceiver specification. TETRA was specifically designed for use by go ...

from the São Francisco, upper Paraná,

Paraguay Paraguay (; ), officially the Republic of Paraguay ( es, República del Paraguay, links=no; gn, Tavakuairetã Paraguái, links=si), is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to th ...

and

Uruguay river The Uruguay River ( es, Río Uruguay, ; pt, Rio Uruguai, ) is a major river in South America. It flows from north to south and forms parts of the boundaries of Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay, separating some of the Argentine provinces of La M ...

basins in eastern and central South America. This freshwater fish is commonly kept in aquariums and bred in large numbers at commercial facilities in Eastern Europe and Asia. The redeye tetra is one of the more popular aquarium fish due to their schooling capability. It can grow up to in length,Riehl & Baensch (1987). "Aquarium Atlas Volume 1", Mergus, p.302 and live for approximately 5 years. The red-eye tetra has a bright silver body accented by a white-edged black basal half of the tail and a thin red circle around its eye. It is part of a group that consists of three similar species, the two others being '' M. forestii'' (upper Paraguay and upper Paraná basins) and '' M. oligolepis'' (

Amazon Amazon most often refers to: * Amazons, a tribe of female warriors in Greek mythology * Amazon rainforest, a rainforest covering most of the Amazon basin * Amazon River, in South America * Amazon (company), an American multinational technology c ...

and Paraguay basins, and the

Guianas The Guianas, sometimes called by the Spanish loan-word ''Guayanas'' (''Las Guayanas''), is a region in north-eastern South America which includes the following three territories: * French Guiana, an overseas department and region of France * ...

). Yellow-banded tetra is another common name for the ''M. sanctaefilomenae''. The fish has a yellow band on its

caudal peduncle Fins are distinctive anatomical features composed of bony spines or rays protruding from the body of a fish. They are covered with skin and joined together either in a webbed fashion, as seen in most bony fish, or similar to a flipper, as se ...

, which differentiates it from the glass tetra.

In the aquarium

Because of the redeye tetra's hardiness and ease of care, it is considered by aquarists to be an excellent beginner fish. It is readily available, peaceful, and is suitable for most community aquariums, although it is quite active and may disturb slower, more timid species. The redeye tetra is a schooling fish. For this reason aquarists often keep it in groups of six or more. Although generally peaceful, some redeye tetras have been known to be fin nippers on rare occasions, even when kept in groups. If kept alone it is more likely to nip the fins of other fish. A fish tank with volume of about 110 litres (29 US G.) is commonly used. The species is frequently kept at temperatures of 23–28°C (73–82°F) in hard water (100–150 mg/L) with neutral pH (7.0), in a tank with plants around the sides and to the rear and a clear area in the front. Redeyes are reported to be adaptable to a range of water conditions.

Nutrition

In the wild the redeye tetra feeds on worms, insects, crustaceans and plant matter. In the aquarium, redeye tetras generally eat all kinds of live, fresh, and flake foods. It can be fed both prepared foods and live foods in captivity.

Breeding

Females are larger and have a more rounded abdomen than the males. When attempting to breed them, a separate breeding tank with slightly acidic, very soft water (4 dGH or below) is often used, with the tank densely planted. The redeye tetra is free spawning, but will also lay eggs among the roots of floating plants. Once spawning has occurred, the mating pair are typically removed, as they will consume the eggs and hatchling fry. The eggs typically hatch one day after they are laid. Aquarists initially feed the fry with

infusoria Infusoria are minute freshwater life forms including ciliates, euglenoids, protozoa, unicellular algae and small invertebrates. Some authors (e.g., Bütschli) used the term as a synonym for Ciliophora. In modern formal classifications, the term i ...

rotifers The rotifers (, from the Latin , "wheel", and , "bearing"), commonly called wheel animals or wheel animalcules, make up a phylum (Rotifera ) of microscopic and near-microscopic pseudocoelomate animals. They were first described by Rev. John H ...

, or commercially prepared fry foods, then freshly hatched

brine shrimp ''Artemia'' is a genus of aquatic crustaceans also known as brine shrimp. It is the only genus in the family Artemiidae. The first historical record of the existence of ''Artemia'' dates back to the first half of the 10th century AD from Urmia La ...

, and eventually finely crushed flake foods.

References

External links

Red Eye Tetra Fact SheetAqua Hobby
{{Taxonbar, from=Q1544489 Tetras Fish of the São Francisco River basin Taxa named by Franz Steindachner Fish described in 1907 Moenkhausia