Rosy tetra

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Rosy tetra
Male Rosy Tetra.JPG
Male, black fin variant
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Characiformes
Family: Acestrorhamphidae
Subfamily: Megalamphodinae
Genus: Megalamphodus
Species:
M. rosaceus
Binomial name
Megalamphodus rosaceus
(Durbin, 1909)
Synonyms [2]
  • Hyphessobrycon rosaceus Durbin, 1909
  • Hyphessobrycon ornatus Ahl, 1934

The rosy tetra (Megalamphodus rosaceus) is a species of freshwater ray-finned fish belonging to the family Acestrorhamphidae, the American characins. This fish is found in northern South America. It is popular in the aquarium trade.

Contents

Taxonomy

The rosy tetra was first formally described as Hyphessobrycon copelandi in 1909 by the American entomologist and ichthyologist Marion Durbin Ellis, with its type locality given as Gluck Island in the Essequibo River, Guyana. This is a river island located at around 6°00' to 6°05'N, 58°36'W. [2] In 2024, this species was reclassified in the genus Megalamphodus which had been proposed by Carl H. Eigenmann in 1915, and is the type genus of the subfamily Megalamphodinae, the red tetras, within the American tetra family, Acestrorhamphidae. [3] This family is classified within the suborder Characoidei of the order Characiformes. [4]

Etymology

The rosy 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, roaceus, is Latin and means "made of roses", i.e. rose-coloured, an allusion to the rosy tints on the scales of the lower flanks. [5]

Description

The rosy tetra has a maximum standard length of 3.4 cm (1.3 in). [6] This species and M. bentosi are very similar and can be easily confused. They can be told apart by the presence of a dark humeral spot in M. bentosi which is absent in this species. Males develop elongated fins as they mature and are typically more intensely coloured, larger and slimmer than females. [7]

Distribution and habitat

The rosy tetra is found in northern South America in Guyana and Suriname, where it occurs in the drainages of the Essequibo, Courantyne and Suriname Rivers. This species appears to prefer clear water streams with slow currents and abundant aquatic vegetation. [1]

Utilisation

The rosy tetra is a popular species in the aquarium trade. [1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Lima, F. (2023). "Hyphessobrycon rosaceus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2023 e.T49830051A162751335. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2023-1.RLTS.T49830051A162751335.en . Retrieved 28 December 2023.
  2. 1 2 Fricke, Ron; Eschmeyer, William N. & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Species in the genus Megalamphodus". Catalog of Fishes . California Academy of Sciences . Retrieved 15 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 15 October 2025.
  5. ↑ Christopher Scharpf (3 October 2025). "Family ACESTRORHAMPHIDAE Eigenmann 1907 (American Tetras)". The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database. Christopher Scharpf. Retrieved 15 October 2025.
  6. ↑ Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Megalamphodus rosaceus". FishBase . April 2025 version.
  7. ↑ "Hyphessobrycon rosaceus DURBIN, 1909 Rosy Tetra". Serioulsy Fish. Retrieved 15 October 2025.
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