Megalamphodus copelandi, the black heart tetra, feather tetra or Copeland's tetra, is a species of freshwater ray-finned fish belonging to the familyAcestrorhamphidae, the American tetras.[2] This species is found in South America.
Megalamphodus copelandi 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 honours Herbert Copeland, a Boston volunteer on the 1865–1866 Thayer Expedition to Brazil, during which the type specimen was collected.[5]
Description
Megalamphodus copelandi has a fusiform body with a maximum total length of 5cm (2.0in).[6] The overall colour of this fish is grey with a black spot behind the opercle. The dorsal fin is black and white and the pelvic and anal fins have white margins. Mature males devellop more elongated dorsal and anal fins than females.[7]
Distribution and habitat
Megalamphodus copelandi is found in South America in the Amazon and Orinoco river systems in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela, it is also found in drainages in Suriname and French Guiana. It occurs in slow flowing tributaries and lakes on floodplains.[1]
Utilisation
Megalamphodus copelandi is an uncommon species in the aquarium trade.[1]
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