Imposter In A Shoal Of Congo Tetras

[Luketendo]

Neon Rainbowfish, had a quick look and it came to mind.

 

[Butch]

I don't see neon rainbowfish...this fish isn't rainbowfish either. The tetra looks like Buneos Aires tetra but this fish's mouth looks different from my Buneos Aires..but its probably one of their relatives. Maybe Mexican tetra or their relatives?

 

[Butch]

Well I just googled for Mexican tetra and its looks like very same fish that you have. The mexican tetra are closely related to the blind cave tetra, long time ago they were considered same species but now seprarted species. Mexican tetra are not common in the aquarium trade of United States (please correct me if im wrong) due to the dullness colors. But their easy to breed and take care too like their cave cousins and Buneos Aires tetras. They don't need a heater in aquarium unless kept outside. The mexican tetra are cool native fishes as this tetra are only one characin species in United States.

 

[scouse_andy]

Neon Rainbowfish, had a quick look and it came to mind.

Definitely not a Praecox

 

[scouse_andy]

Having googled pictures of the Mexican Tetra, it doesn't appear to fit the bill. The Mexican has black at the end of the body before the tailfin whereas my fish has not.

I guess we may well never know 100% but I am happy to go with Lateral Line's suggestion of a Blue Tetra species along the lines of Boehlkea fredcochui. It's a very nice fish in it's own right and if I had more stocking space I would try to get a shoal of them but it is a bit too similar to the Congos and I am planning on finishing off the stocking for my tank with a shoal of Puntius Denisonii.

Thanks for all the suggestions.

 

[Davo86]

ok, i had a look in the 'fish atlas' we have at work which lists photos of all know tropical fish at the time of publishing,
does it look like any of these:

Hemigrammus levis
Astyanax bimaculatus

 

[Lateral Line]

Both the species you suggest have prominent dark markings in the caudal peduncle. The OP's fish does not show such marking.

 

[scouse_andy]

As the Congos mature he is looking more and more different from the rest of them. Here is a new pic. If anybody missed it the first time, an ID would be great. Just out of curiosity really.

Cheers, Andy.

 

[ted28]

As the Congos mature he is looking more and more different from the rest of them. Here is a new pic. If anybody missed it the first time, an ID would be great. Just out of curiosity really.

Cheers, Andy.

I still think its a female yellow tail congo tetra. It looks exactly like the female I have in my tank

It looks rotund like a female fish too.

 

[Barracuda518]

My first thoughts when I saw it was that it was one of the "blue" tetras, there are several species sold as such. Cochu's, (Boehlkea fredcochui), is a good bet. It does look like a South American fish whereas the Congo's are, of course, African. Thing is, after they arrive at the importers or dealers, they can be mixed with all manner of things.

African tetras have a different look about them, they tend to have relatively few, larger scales whereas South Americans, lots of small scales. There are exceptions of course.

Thats what I was thinking too. Looks like those blue Tetras. If not, its something very similiar.