Characidae, the characids or characins, is a family of freshwater subtropical and tropical fish belonging to the order Characiformes. The name "characins" is a historical one, but scientists today tend to prefer "characids" to reflect their status as a, by and large, monophyletic group. To arrive there, this family has undergone much systematic and taxonomic change. Among those fishes remaining in the Characidae currently are the tetras, comprising the very similar genera Hemigrammus and Hyphessobrycon, as well as a few related forms, such as the cave and neon tetras. Fish of this family are important as food in several regions, and also constitute a large percentage of captive freshwater aquarium fish species.
Acestrorhynchus is a genus of characiform fish found only in fresh water in South America, the sole genus in the family Acestrorhynchidae. Their greatest diversity is in the Orinoco and Amazon basins.
Hyphessobrycon is a genus of freshwater fish in the family Characidae. These species are among the fishes known as tetras. The genus is distributed in the Neotropical realm from southern Mexico to Río de la Plata in Argentina. Many of these species are native to South America; about six species are from Central America and a single species, H. compressus is from southern Mexico.
African tetras are a group of characiform fish found exclusively in Africa. This family contains about 18 genera and 119 species. Among the best known members are the Congo tetra, and African tigerfish.
A headstander is any of several species of South American fish, including Anostomus ternetzi, Anostomus anostomus and members of genus Chilodus from the family Chilodontidae. The name derives from their habit of swimming at a 45° angle, head pointed downwards, as if "standing on their heads".
Copella is a genus of freshwater fish belonging to the family Lebiasinidae, native to South America, known colloquially to aquarists as splashing tetras or splash tetras, because of the unique reproductive method of the best-known representative of the genus, Copella arnoldi. They are not as closely related to the tetras proper in the Characidae as initially believed.
Brycinus is a genus of ray-finned fish in the family Alestiidae. Like other "African characids", they were formerly included in the Characidae but are actually somewhat more distantly related Characiformes.
Striped headstander may refer to the fish species:
Ivindomyrus is a genus of freshwater ray-finned fish belonging to the family Mormyridae, the elephantfishes. These fishes are found in rivers in Middle Africa.
Paramormyrops is a genus of elephantfish in the family Mormyridae from Africa.
Phenacogrammus is a genus of African tetras found in Middle Africa.
Hemigrammus is a genus of freshwater fish in the family Characidae native to South America and commonly seen in the aquarium trade. These are medium-small tetras where the largest species reach up to around 11 cm (4.3 in).
Iguanodectes is a genus of freshwater fish found in tropical South America, with eight currently described species. They are all small tetras, none longer than 5 inches, and often have attractive silvery or striped scales, which makes them a target for the ornamental fish industry. Alongside the genus Piabucus, it is in the subfamily Iguanodectinae, which in turn is in the family Iguanodectidae. The genus Bryconops, which is also in Iguanodectidae, makes up a sister clade to Iguanodectinae.
Knodus is a genus of characins, small freshwater fish from South America.
Tetragonopterus is a genus of fish in the family Characidae native to South America.
Pyrrhulina is a genus of freshwater fishes found in tropical South America. Several of these species are popular aquarium fish.
Anostomus longus is small species of fish in the family Anostomidae. It is only known from the upper Amazon of Peru. It has been collected in a slow moving river.
Anostomus brevior, the striped headstander, is a species of fish in the family Anostomidae. It occurs in South America and is present in the aquarium fish trade.
Anostomus ternetzi, the red mouth headstander, is a fish in the family Anostomidae.
Iguanodectidae is a family of freshwater fish in the order Characiformes that lives in South America. It is home to the subfamily Iguanodectinae and the monotypic Bryconops clade. Several species in the family, such as the green line lizard tetra, the tailspot tetra, and the orangefin tetra, are sometimes taken as aquarium fish.
