Tetra = Asian Rasbora???

[Magnum Man]

So not sure if “everyone” knows this, but Pleco’s are only “naturally” found in South America… there are other sucker mouth fish found in other countries, but they are not pleco’s…
Today my caffeine subject is…. Is this the same with Tetras???

Are Tetras only found in South America, and the similar fish in Asia, are Rasbora’s???

 

[Magnum Man]

To answer my own question… well, duh… I actually have African Tetras, but in a little digging, Tetras seem to come from South America, and Africa, and Rasbora’s seem to only come from Asia…
Any other exceptions anyone can think of???

 

[Magnum Man]

Hmmm… seems to be some reference to an R. gerlachi, that was from Africa, but either it was misidentified, or extinct, or just shy, I’m not sure

 

[GaryE]

It's all in the plate tectonics and the ancient super continent.

Tetras are Characins, and are in Africa, South America and southern North America.

Rasbora are in the Cyprinid family, which is found in Africa, Eurasia and North America. Trigonostigma and Bororas are the most popular of what used to be called Rasbora, and as you know, are Asian. The Cyprinids also include what we call barbs, which are Asian and African.

I live in the mouth of an ancient river, but one km from here, I can stand on rocks that continue in North Africa. It's a chunk torn off when the continents ripped apart. One of my many nerdy interests is biogeography, and what where our fish come from tells us about the world before we existed. It's wonderful stuff. The fact I can catch killifish in Africa, but also in my neighbourhood is very cool. They're in the broad family if Cyprinodontidae.

There's info for the curious in Latin names, and fish science.

 

[JackGulley]

It’s so intriguing to me that the land that’s now the Congo and the Amazon would’ve touched at one point.

 

[JackGulley]

Are there Asian cichlids? Or are they also Gondwanan in origin? What fills that niche in Asia?

 

[GaryE]

There are a very few Asian Cichlids - Etroplus. I think there are only 3 described Cichlids in the Genus.

I have blinders on - Asian fish are not my faves. Who has the niche is a good question. I expect barbs do, to a degree.

In killies, there is a wild one. South of the geographical Dahomey Gap, there are tons of Aphyosemions. North of it, there are Genuses like Scriptaphyosemion that really look like Aphyosemions. They were considered to be them for ages, until DNA work was done. It turns out they are not super closely related. The Script/archiaphyosemion group descend from an ancient Epiplatys ancestor. Aphyosemions to the south come from a different direction,on their own path. Epiplatys went their merry way in both regions and beyond.
Put them side by side and you might think they're kissing cousins.

This link leads to a favourite killie site.

Gateway

aka.org