Order Characiformes
Family Parodontidae
They live close to the river bottom, acting as cleaners by eating algae. They have adapted to this lifestyle — their chest is flat and wide, and deeply set pectoral fins serve as support organs when “landing” on the bottom or “moving” along it. Peaceful, should be kept in schools. Open areas should be combined with islands of hard-leaved plants. These fish are jumpers, so a tight-fitting aquarium cover is necessary. Unpretentious regarding food. There are no clear sexual dimorphism differences. It is best to keep them in species-specific aquariums where they can be provided with a proper diet.
Genus Apareiodon
— Apareiodon affinis [Steindachner, 1879]. Synonym: Apareiodon paraguayensis, Parodon affinis, paraguayensis. (English: Darter Characine). This is a fairly large fish from South America, Paraná River, Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay. 12-14 cm. Golden (beige back) with a black line from the tip of the snout to the tail. Female is paler and plumper than the male. Peaceful, should be kept in schools.
A school of adult fish should be kept in a large aquarium. Intraspecific and interspecific relations are good, making them suitable for communities with large fish, including cichlids. Very active, constantly moving around the aquarium. Fish are prone to jumping, tight cover glass is required. Water ranges from acidic to neutral, can tolerate hard water, but they do not breed in it. The fish are mainly herbivorous, eating soft plants, so vegetables should be provided in their diet. pH 6.0-7.2; dH less than 15°; T 22-26°C.
— Apareiodon ibitiensis [Amaral Campos, 1944]. Synonym: Apareiodon mogiguacuensis. Brazil and Paraguay. Inhabit rivers and streams with rocky and sandy bottoms and strong water currents. 11 cm. Up to 10 rounded green spots run in a single line down the center, overlaid by a wide black stripe from the gills to the tail, with a second stripe running along the spine. Fins are elongated. Juveniles are silvery-white, and black stripes gradually appear. Sandy substrate, dense vegetation, driftwood for shelter. Feed on algal fouling and invertebrates. pH 6.0-7.0; dH less than 10°; T 20-26°C.
— Apareiodon piracicabae [Eigenmann, 1907]. Synonym: Parodon piracicabae. Tietê-Paraná. 12 cm. Dorsal ridge is black, belly is silvery-white. Wide black and greenish bands run along the midline of the body. pH 6.5-7.5; T 23-26°C.
Genus Parodon
— Parodon caliensis [Boulenger, 1895]. Synonym: Parodon medellinense. Colombia, Río Cali, Río Cauca rivers. 11 cm. Snout and top of the head are brown. Upper body is light brown with 6-8 transverse bars with pale yellow or white in between; these bars are sometimes split to form two spots on the same vertical line. Abdominal part of the body is lighter, without spots. All fins are colorless, except for the brown caudal fin. Keep in small groups, loves strong water current. Vegetable foods and tablets are heavily used when feeding. T 26-28°C.
— Parodon pongoensis [Allen, 1942]. Synonym: Apareiodon pongoense, caquetae. (English: Pongo Characin). Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, western tributaries of the Amazon River. 8-10 cm. Coloration is beige-silver with a thin black stripe along the dorsal ridge and a wide one along the midline of the body. Females are plumper and paler. Bottom-dwelling fish. Peaceful, should be kept in schools. Fish are prone to jumping, tight cover glass is required. T 18-26°C; pH 6.0-7.5.
— Parodon suborbitalis [Valenciennes, 1850]. Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela, Lake Maracaibo and the Orinoco, Atrato, Catatumbo river basins. 11 cm. Cylindrical body, small head and mouth. Body coloration is greenish-beige, belly is silvery, with a stripe of dark brown spots in the middle part of the body. The intensity of longitudinal and transverse stripes depends on mood, and sometimes the stripes may be completely absent. Pectoral and ventral fins are yellow, others are light. Juveniles have 18-19 very short vertical stripes on the sides, which disappear with age. Sensitive to excess nitrates. Feed on algal fouling and detritus. pH 6.5; T 20-24°C.
Identification: Genus Apareiodon, Parodon
Genus Saccodon
— Saccodon dariensis [Meek & Hildebrand, 1913]. Synonym: Parodon dariensis, Apareiodon compressus, brevipinnis, Saccodon caucae. Panama, Colombia. 12 cm. General coloration is yellow with 8-10 black transverse bars. A spot at the base of the caudal peduncle. Dorsal fin with two or three irregularly shaped black spots. Pectoral fins are black, pelvic fins are large with rounded edges and irregular black spots at the base, anal fin with small black spots. Caudal fin with black rays and black spots on both lobes at the base. Peaceful, schooling fish. They require a large aquarium with water current.
Genus Prochilodus, Genus Semaprochilodus
Nannostomus minimus, nitidus, trifasciatus, unifasciatus 
