Top Qs
Timeline
Chat
Perspective
Black phantom tetra
Species of fish From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Remove ads
The black phantom tetra (Megalamphodus megalopterus),[2] or simply phantom tetra, is a small freshwater fish of the tetra family (Acestrorhamphidae) of order Characiformes.[3] It is native to the upper Paraguay basin and upper Madeira basin (including Guaporé, Mamore and Beni) in Brazil and Bolivia.[4] It is commonly seen in the aquarium trade.[4]
Remove ads
Appearance
Summarize
Perspective
This fish is of roughly tetragonal shape, light grey in coloring and sometimes pitch black depending on genetics, with a black patch, surrounded by iridescent silver edging, posterior of the gills on each side. The male's fins are black, as is the female's dorsal fin; the female's pelvic, anal, and adipose fins are reddish in color. A long-finned variety, apparently developed by captive breeders, is sometimes sold in the aquarium trade (the male has elongated dorsal and anal fins even in the wild form). The black phantom tetra reaches a maximum standard length of 1.75 in (4.4 cm).[3]
Sex
The male black phantom tetras have longer fins than the females and when in breeding condition, the females become plumper, but the biggest difference is in their color. The males have no red, while the smaller fins of the female both on the top and underneath them are red. The adipose fin, on the top of the body behind the larger dorsal fin, is much more noticeable in the females than the males, because in females it is red while in the males it is grey. The female's dorsal fin has a more intense black than the male's. When the fish are in breeding condition, the colors of both sexes become more distinct, with the male showing its black fins more obviously.
Remove ads
Feeding
The black phantom tetra's natural diet consist of small crustaceans, insects, and worms.[3]
See also
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Hyphessobrycon megalopterus.
References
Wikiwand - on
Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.
Remove ads