Acestrorhamphidae

Acestrorhamphidae, the American tetras, are a diverse family of freshwater fish in the order Characiformes. They are native to North and South America, from the southwestern United States south to temperate Argentina, with a few species introduced to other parts of the world. It includes many genera previously placed in the family Characidae, which was split into multiple families in 2024. It contains many of the most famous ornamental aquarium fish that are popularly known as tetras.^[1][2][3]

Acestrorhamphidae
Various acestrorhamphid species from the Paraná River basin
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Characiformes
Superfamily:	Characoidea
Family:	Acestrorhamphidae Eigenmann, 1907
Subfamilies
See text

Taxonomy

The Mexican tetra (Astyanax mexicanus) is the northernmost-living characiform, and has both surface and blind cave-dwelling morphs

Neon tetra (Paracheirodon innesi)

Black phantom tetra (Hyphessobrycon megalopterus)

The following taxonomy is based on Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes:^[2][3]

Family Acestrorhamphidae

• Subfamily Oxybryconinae Melo, Mattox & Oliveira, 2024
  • Oxybrycon Géry, 1964
• Subfamily Trochilocharacinae Melo, Mattox & Oliveira, 2024 (hummingbird characins)
  • Trochilocharax Zarske, 2010
• Subfamily Stygichthyinae Géry, 1972
  • Coptobrycon Géry, 1966
  • Deuterodon Eigenmann, 1907
  • Myxiops Zanata & Akama, 2004
  • Stygichthys Brittan & Böhlke, 1965
• Subfamily Megalamphodinae Carvalho, Lima & Melo, 2024 (red tetras)
  • Axelrodia Géry, 1965
  • Brittanichthys Géry, 1965
  • Makunaima Terán, Benitez & Mirande, 2020
  • Megalamphodus Eigenmann, 1915
  • Paracheirodon Géry, 1960
  • Petitella Géry & Boutière, 1964
• Subfamily Stichonodontinae Eigenmann, 1910
  • Hasemania Ellis, 1911
  • Moenkhausia Eigenmann, 1903
  • Nematocharax Weitzman, Menezes & Britski, 1986
  • Stichonodon Eigenmann, 1903
• Subfamily Stethaprioninae Eigenmann, 1907 (discus tetras)
  • Brachychalcinus Boulenger, 1892
  • Ectrepopterus Fowler, 1943
  • Orthospinus Reis, 1989
  • Poptella Eigenmann, 1908
  • Stethaprion Cope, 1870
• Subfamily Pristellinae Géry & Boutière, 1964
  • Hemigrammus Gill, 1858
  • Gymnocorymbus Eigenmann, 1908
  • Pristella Eigenmann, 1908
• Subfamily Jupiabinae Benine & Ota, 2024
  • Jupiaba Zanata, 1997
• Subfamily Tyttobryconinae Mattox & Melo, 2024
  • Priocharax Weitzman & Vari, 1987
  • Tucanoichthys Géry & Römer, 1997
  • Tyttobrycon Géry, 1973

• Subfamily Hyphessobryconinae Lima, Carvalho & Faria, 2024 (multicusp characins)
  • Dinotopterygium Frainer, Carvalho, Bertaco & Malabarba, 2021
  • Erythrocharax Netto-Ferreira, Birindelli, Sousa, Mariguela & Oliveira, 2013^[4]
  • Hyphessobrycon Durbin, 1908
  • Parecbasis Eigenmann, 1914
  • Phycocharax Ohara, Mirande & Lima, 2017 ^[5]

• Subfamily Thayeriinae Ota, Reia & Benine, 2024
  • Bario Myers, 1940
  • Bryconella Géry, 1965
  • Hollandichthys Eigenmann, 1909
  • Holopristis Eigenmann, 1903
  • Inpaichthys Géry & Junk, 1977
  • Parapristella Géry, 1964
  • Rachoviscus Myers, 1926
  • Ramirezella Fernández-Yépez, 1949
  • Thayeria Eigenmann, 1908

• Subfamily Rhoadsiinae Fowler, 1911 (Pacific characins)
  • Carlana Strand, 1928
  • Nematobrycon Eigenmann, 1911
  • Parastremma Eigenmann, 1912
  • Pseudochalceus Kner, 1863
  • Rhoadsia Fowler, 1911

• Subfamily Grundulinae Fowler, 1958
  • Astyanacinus Eigenmann, 1907
  • Grundulus Valenciennes, 1846

• Subfamily Acestrorhamphinae Eigenmann, 1907
  • Andromakhe Terán, Benitez & Mirande, 2020
  • Astyanax Baird & Girard, 1854
  • Ctenobrycon Eigenmann, 1908
  • Oligosarcus Günther, 1864
  • Psalidodon Eigenmann, 1911