Ember Tetra
Hyphessobrycon amandae
Beastly Facts · Updated
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Overview
The ember tetra is a tiny orange-red schooling fish from the Araguaia River basin in central Brazil, reaching only about 0.8 inch. It is very peaceful and does poorly beside boisterous or much larger fish, which makes it a natural fit for small, densely planted tanks and a calm dither fish for dwarf cichlids. It is also sold as the fire tetra and the red tetra.
Quick Facts
Native Range
Araguaia River basin, central Brazil
Natural Habitat
Thought to favor minor tributaries, backwaters and oxbow lakes over main channels, in soft, weakly acidic water among dense plants
Adult Size
About 0.8 inch (2 cm) standard length
Wild Diet
Probably tiny invertebrates and other zooplankton
Wild Lifespan
Not documented in the wild; about 2-4 years in captivity
Conservation Status
Least Concern (IUCN)
History
Géry and Uj described the species in 1987 from the Rio das Mortes, a tributary of the Araguaia, where the ornamental fish wholesaler Heiko Bleher collected the type specimen. They named it for his mother, Amanda Bleher, a German limnologist who lived from 1910 to 1991, which is why the name ends in -ae rather than -i. In the Araguaia basin its local name is foguinho, Portuguese for little fire.
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Ember Tetra
Human
Adult Size
About 0.8 inch (2 cm) standard length
5-6 feet (150-185 cm); ~135-200 lbs
Wild Lifespan
Not documented in the wild; about 2-4 years in captivity
~73 years (global average)
Wild Diet
Probably tiny invertebrates and other zooplankton
Omnivorous - eats just about anything
Native Range
Araguaia River basin, central Brazil
Global - originated in Africa roughly 300,000 years ago
Natural Habitat
Thought to favor minor tributaries, backwaters and oxbow lakes over main channels, in soft, weakly acidic water among dense plants
Everywhere from arctic tundra to tropical megacities
Conservation Status
Least Concern (IUCN)
Least Concern (8+ billion and counting)
Test Yourself
What's the Ember Tetra's native range?
Care Guide
Ember Tetra Care Guide
The tiny orange schooler that glows like a coal against dark plants!
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Deep Dive
🐠 How Much Does Ember Tetra Ownership Cost?
🐠 Ember Tetras Are Never Handled, So the Trip Home Is the Part to Get Right
🐠 Common Ember Tetra Health Issues (and Why the Ich Heat Cure Stops at 82°F)
🐠 Ember Tetra Tank Setup: A 10-Gallon School, Soft Water, and Dense Plants
🐠 Ember Tetra Feeding: Diet, Food Size, and How Often to Feed
🐠 Ember Tetra Enrichment: Bright Orange, Built to Vanish
Did You Know?
Ember tetras are named for Amanda Bleher, a German limnologist whose son collected the first specimens, and in the Araguaia basin of central Brazil where they live, people call them foguinhos: little fires.
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