Paracheirodon

Paracheirodon is a genus of freshwater fish in the family Characidae of the order Characiformes. The type species is P. innesi, the well-known neon tetra, and the Paracheirodon species are among the fishes known as tetras. All species of this genus are native to the Neotropical realm, occurring in the Orinoco and Amazon Basins in northern South America.

Paracheirodon
Neon tetra (P. innesi)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Characiformes
Family:	Acestrorhamphidae
Subfamily:	Megalamphodinae
Genus:	Paracheirodon Géry, 1960

Paracheirodon tetras reach maximum overall lengths of 2.5 to 5 cm (0.98 to 1.97 in) depending on the species, and are of elongated, tetra shapes. All share a distinctive iridescent blue lateral line, but differ slightly in their other colorations.

Preferring soft, acidic waters, these midwater shoaling fishes feed predominantly on small crustaceans, insects, worms, and zooplankton. When spawning, they scatter their eggs and guard neither eggs nor young.

The generic name Paracheirodon derives from the Ancient Greek χείρ (hand), and οδών (teeth), prefixed with παρά (beside) to distinguish it from the similar characin genus Cheirodon.

Species

The currently recognized species in this genus are:^[1]

Image	Species	Common name	Range
	Paracheirodon axelrodi (L. P. Schultz, 1956)	Cardinal tetra	Upper Orinoco and Negro River basins.[2]
	Paracheirodon innesi (G. S. Myers, 1936)	Neon tetra	Blackwater and clearwater stream tributaries of the Solimões River.[3]
	Paracheirodon simulans (Géry, 1963)	Green neon tetra	Upper Orinoco and Negro River basins.[4]