Family Characidae ( Characidae )
Group of uncertain status ( Incertae Sedis )
Genus Hyphessobrycon.
To be continued…
— Hyphessobrycon itaparicensis [Lima & Costa, 2001]. Brazil, Itaparica River. Females length up to 7 cm, males up to 5 cm. The body is laterally compressed, elongated, high in the front and smoothly tapering towards the tail. The body from the snout to the dorsal fin line is grayish-blue, and further down to the caudal fin is lilac. Behind the gill cover, there is a double crescent-shaped silver earring. Unpaired fins are well developed and colored yellowish. Males are slimmer.
One-month-old fry were already completely similar in outline to adult fish, but colored pale pink. After 2 months, a silver earring appears behind the gill cover, and the body acquires a lilac shade. Does not damage plants. Coexists peacefully with other aquarium inhabitants, does not offend anyone, but does not hide from anyone either. Omnivorous, equally enjoying live, frozen, and dry foods. dH 10°; pH 6.5; T 22-24°C.
— Hyphessobrycon igneus [Miquelarena, Menni, Lopez & Casciotta, 1980]. (Firefin Tetra). Argentina, inhabits mountain streams, Rio Paraná basin. 4 cm. Translucent fish, with a blue tint on the body and bright blue color on the distal part of the fins. Caudal fin with red lobes. Below the diaphragm, blue pigmentation is present. A yellow line goes from the head, through the eye, and continues down to the base of the caudal fin. Aquarium with densely planted plants at the edges. Peaceful. Water is slightly cooler than for many related species. pH 6-7; dH 2-15°; T 20-24°C.
— Loreto Tetra. Peruvian Neon — Hyphessobrycon loretoensis [Ladiges, 1938]. (Loreto Tetra). Peru, Rio Meta River. 4 cm. Back is beige, belly is silvery. A wide black stripe and a narrow pink stripe above it run along the body. The intensity of these stripes can vary. Gill covers with a blue tint. Caudal fin is bright red. There are no color differences between sexes. Males are slimmer, their fins are more deeply cut, with a milky border. A number of species very similar to the Peruvian neon are known, which are supplied to hobbyists under the same name. These are: True peruvianus — H. peruvianus; Hyphessobrycon metae — H. metae; Hemigrammus belottii — H. belotti.
With good and careful maintenance in a school, the fish demonstrates all its inherent colors. Dark substrate and not too bright lighting make the colors more saturated. Dense vegetation along the edges and in the corners. It is necessary to leave enough swimming space because the school of fish constantly moves around the aquarium. The optimal company for them is fish of similar size and behavior; do not keep them with brisk neighbors, as it will only frighten such fish.
— Kitty Tetra — Hyphessobrycon loweae [Costa & Gery, 1994]. Brazil, Rio Xingu River. 3-4 cm. A small fish with a high back. Both sexes have a pleasant body color ranging from milky beige to lemon yellow, with a triangular humeral spot on the sides and black spots on the caudal peduncle edged with white. The rear part shimmers with a slight bluish tint. Anal and ventral fins of males are enlarged and edged with red. The enlarged flag-like dorsal fin is colored red in the upper half. The upper and lower lobes of the caudal fin are also edged with red. Females are colored rather simply; their fins are colorless and transparent, not enlarged. Peaceful, schooling; sufficient swimming space and planting of plants along the edges are necessary. Eats all types of aquarium foods.
— Minor Tetra — Hyphessobrycon minor [Durbin, 1909]. (Minor Tetra). Guiana. 3 cm. Body coloration is ruby-red, quite stable and changes little depending on keeping conditions. A dark spot is located behind the gill cover. The dorsal fin is black and red only at the base, with a white border. The anal fin is red with a black edge and a white margin along the lower edge, which is much larger in the male than in the female; the other fins are red. Males are smaller, slimmer, and brighter than females.
There are pink specimens and albinos — dark pink in color, anal fin is white, eyes are red. There is a veil-fin form. Most often under this name aquarists keep Hyphessobrycon callistus, while the true minor is colored somewhat more modestly, and besides, it is the lowest-bodied species in the “Callistus” group (the highest body is in H. callistus).
Peaceful, may nip tails of veil-fin forms. Unpretentious. The aquarium should not be too densely planted with plants; the center should be completely free of them. Water is old, slightly softened. Requires clean water; gets sick in polluted water. Fish are not demanding regarding the chemical composition of water, but hardness should not exceed 14 degrees. Temperature not lower than 18°, as in cold water they easily succumb to infectious diseases. Sexual maturity is reached at 8-10 months.
Hyphessobrycon megalopterus, metae, nigricinctus, peruvianus.
Hyphessobrycon herbertaxelrodi, heterorhabdus, heliacus. 
