Bleeding heart tetra

Bleeding heart tetra
Male
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1) [1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Characiformes
Family:	Acestrorhamphidae
Subfamily:	Megalamphodinae
Genus:	Megalamphodus
Species:	M. erythrostigma
Binomial name
Megalamphodus erythrostigma (Fowler, 1943)
Synonyms [2]
Hemigrammus erythrostigma Fowler, 1943 Hyphessobrycon erythrostigma (Fowler 1943) Hyphessobrycon rubrostigma Hoedeman, 1956

The bleeding heart tetra (Megalamphodus erythrostigma) is a species of freshwater ray-finned fish belonging to the family Acestrorhamphidae. As many other species of the family, it is native to South America and is popular in the aquarium trade.

Taxonomy

The bleeding heart tetra was first formally described as Hemigrammus erythrostigma in 1943 by the American zoologist Henry Weed Fowler, with its type locality given as "probably" the border area between Brazil and Peru. ^[2] In 2024, this species was moved to the genus Megalamphodus , which had been proposed by Carl H. Eigenmann in 1915 and is the type genus of the subfamily Megalamphodinae (red tetras) within the family Acestrorhamphidae (American tetras). ^[3] This family is classified within the suborder Characoidei of the order Characiformes. ^[4]

Etymology

The bleeding heart tetra is classified in the genus Megalamphodus, which is Greek and means "with spacious ways", a name coined by Carl H. Eigenmann which he gave no explanation for. It may be an allusion to the "very large" fontanels, the frontal bones being described as "entirely separate", that is, with a space between them and the parietal bones. The specific name, erythrostigma, means "red mark" or "red spot", an allusion to the vermilion humeral spot. ^[5]

Description

The bleeding heart tetra has a maximum standard length of 6.1 cm (2.4 in). ^[6] The overall colour of the body varies and may be beige, orange or a silvery pale purple. A distinguishing feature is the crimson spot on the flanks. ^[7] In adults there is a longitudinal white stripe along most of the anal fin. ^[8] Males develop longer fins than females and tend to be slimmer. ^[7]

Distribution and habitat

The bleeding heart tetra is found in the western part of the Amazon basin in Brazil, Colombia and Peru. It is found in floodplains and large tributaries, where the water varies from clear to slightly stained. ^[1]

Utilisation

The bleeding heart tetra is one of the most popular fishes in the aquarium trade, and almost all the fish featuring in that trade are captive-bred. ^[1]

References

1. Lima, F. (2023). "Hyphessobrycon erythrostigma". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2023 e.T49830743A159677373. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2023-1.RLTS.T49830743A159677373.en . Retrieved 27 December 2023.
2. Fricke, Ron; Eschmeyer, William N. & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Species in the genus Megalamphodus". Catalog of Fishes . California Academy of Sciences . Retrieved 13 October 2025.
3. Melo, Bruno F; Ota, Rafaela P; Benine, Ricardo C; et al. (2024-09-01). "Phylogenomics of Characidae, a hyper-diverse Neotropical freshwater fish lineage, with a phylogenetic classification including four families (Teleostei: Characiformes)" . Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 202 (1) zlae101. doi:10.1093/zoolinnean/zlae101. ISSN   0024-4082.
4. R. Fricke; W. N. Eschmeyer; R. Van der Laan (2025). "ESCHMEYER'S CATALOG OF FISHES: CLASSIFICATION". California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 12 October 2025.
5. Christopher Scharpf (3 October 2025). "Family ACESTRORHAMPHIDAE Eigenmann 1907 (American Tetras)". The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database. Christopher Scharpf. Retrieved 13 October 2025.
6. Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Megalamphodus erythrostigma". FishBase . April 2025 version.
7. "Bleeding Heart Tetra - Hyphessobrycon erythrostigma Fish Profile & Care Guide". Aquadiction. Retrieved 13 October 2025.
8. "Hyphessobrycon erythrostigma (FOWLER, 1943) Bleeding Heart Tetra". Seriously Fish. Retrieved 13 October 2025.