''Holopristis pulcher'', also known as the pretty tetra, garnet tetra or black wedge tetra, is a semi-popular aquarium species. In the wild, the species is found near

Iquitos Iquitos (; ) is the capital city of Peru's Maynas Province, Peru, Maynas Province and Loreto Region. It is the largest metropolis in the Peruvian Amazon, east of the Andes, as well as the List of cities in Peru, ninth-most populous city in Peru ...

in the

Peruvian Amazon Peruvian Amazonia (), informally known locally as the Peruvian jungle () or just the jungle (), is the area of the Amazon rainforest in Peru, east of the Andes and Peru's borders with Ecuador, Colombia, Brazil, and Bolivia. Peru has the second-l ...

, and probably also in

Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...

and

Colombia Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country primarily located in South America with Insular region of Colombia, insular regions in North America. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north, Venezuel ...

Physical appearance

''Holopristis pulcher'' has a pale-lemon background color with a black area on the flanks, up to the caudal peduncle. Under subdued lighting, ''H. pulcher'''s body appears iridescent. It grows up to . Males can be distinguished from females through the shape of the swim bladder, which can be seen through the fish's semi-transparent body. In males, the swim bladder is pointed, while in females, the swim bladder is rounded.

In captivity

Aquarists keep this fish in water with temperatures ranging from that is soft (50–100 mg/L) and acidic (pH 6.0). The fish is reported to be peaceful and social. Aquarists recommend that it be fed prepared foods and small live foods. Breeding is difficult, as parents must be prevented from eating their own eggs. Eggs usually hatch within 20–24 hours. The ''H. pulcher'' does best in groups of 6 or more.

References

External links

Aquatic Community on careAquatic Community on breedingFilaman.ifm-geomar.de
Holopristis Freshwater fish of Colombia Taxa named by Werner Ladiges Fish described in 1938 Freshwater fish of Peru Tetras of Brazil {{characidae-stub