Cyprinidae: Moenkhausia Oligolepis

Tuesday, 24 July 2012

Moenkhausia Oligolepis

Tetra is the common name for various small, often colorful, tropical, freshwater fish within the two characiform (order Characiformes) families Characidae—and in particularly its subfamilyTetragonopterinae, the "South American tetras"—and Alestiidae, the "African tetras." The African tetras formerly were classified in Alestiinae as a subfamily of Characidae, and remain within Characidae in some classifications.

The term tetra is not a formal taxonomic rank, but rather is the common name used for numerous small fish scattered over numerous genera and different families and subfamilies. Because of the popularity of tetras in the fish-keeping hobby, many unrelated fish are commonly known as tetras. Even fish that are vastly different may be called tetras, such as Hydrolycus scomberoides, occasionally known as the sabretooth tetra or vampire tetra, which is placed in the Characinae subfamily within Characidae.