Gymnocorymbus ternetzi
| Black tetra | |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Characiformes |
| Family: | Characidae |
| Genus: | Gymnocorymbus |
| Species: | G. ternetzi |
| Binomial name | |
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Gymnocorymbus ternetzi (Boulenger, 1895) |
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The black tetra (Gymnocorymbus ternetzi), also known as the black skirt tetra, petticoat tetra, high-fin black skirt tetra, black widow tetra and blackamoor, is a freshwater fish of the characin family (Characidae). It is native to the Paraguay River basin of south-central Brazil (mainly Pantanal region), Paraguay and northeast Argentina, but there are also populations in the upper Paraná and Paraíba do Sul Rivers that likely were introduced. It was formerly reported from the Guapore River, but this population is part of G. flaviolimai, which is found throughout the Madeira River basin and was described in 2015. The black tetra is often kept in aquariums.
Growing up to 7.5 cm (3.0 in) in length, the black tetra has a roughly tetragonal body shape and is greyish in colour, fading from near black at the tail to light at the nose. Two prominent, black, vertical bars appear just posterior to the gills.
The black widow tetra is a schooling fish that feeds on small crustaceans, insects, and worms.
The black skirt tetra is a common fish that is widely available for purchase.
Hobbyists often provide live foods such as daphnia and mosquito larvae, and frozen foods like bloodworms.
The species reaches sexual maturity at about two years of age. Like most characins, this species spawns by intermittently releasing and fertilizing eggs among plants. It frequently eats its own eggs, so keepers remove the fish after spawning.
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Wikipedia