Skip to main content

Neon Tetra

Paracheirodon innesi
Like yesterday's animal, the Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, today's creature is also popular within the pet industry. In fact, the Neon Tetra is one of the most commonly kept tropical fish out there.

In the wild, these little guys can be found in tropical freshwater rivers of Brazil, Colombia, and Peru. They are found in clear and blackwater areas, but not in whitewater, and are found in groups due to their social, shoaling nature.

Male and females Neon Tetras look identical, though the females sometimes have a slightly rounder shape, where the males are more straight and streamlined. Both sexes sport a shiny blue stripe that runs head to tail, as well as a bold red line that traces down the back half of the body.

Though Neon Tetras hail from South America, most of the fish found in the Pet Trade are imported from Southeast Asian farms where they are bred in captivity.

Many places advertise them as great beginner fish, there are still many considerations to take before owning them. They need to live in groups in order to be happiest, 5 is the minimum, but at least 10 are recommended. And despite the small size they do need a good amount of space- at least 1 gallon per fish. The Tetras are also very sensitive, and need stable water conditions.They are shy and are compatible with many other species, though larger fish will bully them, so it's best to keep them with species that are on the small to medium size. They are also suceptible to Neon Tetra Disease Pleistophora, a parasitic disease that is typically fatal.

IUCN Status : Not Listed
Location : Peru, Colombia, Brazil
Size : Body Length up to 1.2in (3cm)
Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Actinopterygii -- Order : Characiformes
Family : Characidae -- Genus : Paracheirodon -- Species : P. innesi

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Bornean Orangutan

The Bornean Orangutan is one of two extant Orangutan species in the world. It is the third largest primate (after Gorillas) and is the largest primarily tree-dwelling animal in the world. Males are substantially larger than females, and average at around 165lbs. Bornean Orangutans are largely solitary. A handful might live within a small range but they will seldom interact with one another. Males and females only meet up to breed, which happens only once every several years. A young Orangutan will stay with it's mother for about five years, and the females tend to go about eight years between births. That is the longest interim period of any animal! Sadly, the Bornean Orangutans are in a lot of trouble. They need large forests in order to thrive, and deforestation and habitat degradation has left many homeless. They are also hunted for meat and for traditional medicines. Conservation areas are being established to help these guys in the wild, and it is believed that there are a...

Halloween Crab

Gecarcinus quadratus The Halloween Crab goes by many names, including the Red Land Crab, Whitespot Crab, and Moon Crab. I personally like Halloween Crab though, since it really reflects the interesting colors. They have black carapaces, orange-red legs, and purple claws! Halloween Crabs live in the Pacific coast mangroves and forests of Central and South America. They actually live in the forests as adults, and return to the ocean in order to reproduce. Did you know that they live as far away as 18 miles (30km)  from water? Not where you normally think Crabs to be! While living in the forest, the Crabs forage nocturnally for different plant matter, including leaves and sapling. They also dig long burrows into the ground for protection. These burrows can measure nearly 5 ft long! Halloween Crabs are sometimes kept in captivity, and can be very tricky pets due to their excellent climbing skills. IUCN Status :  Not Listed ...

Four!

For anyone who was counting, yesterday was our birthday-- four years! Four years filled with animals from A to Z, more than 1,100 of them! I can't thank my readers enough, it's been wonderful! And in celebration of that milestone... I'm taking a break. Hopefully not forever, but for a little bit at least. In the mean time I plan on getting a new layout out, along with some updates to some of the older articles. I'll post updates here and on the Facebook page, I'm also brainstorming some new animal-related projects, so keep an eye out! Thanks again for four awesome years!