THE STEINHART AQUARIUM - Gulf of Guinea Science ...

Diet: Consume terrestrial and aquatic plants
and terrestrial and aquatic invertebrates.
Reproduction and Development: Migrate
during the rainy season to formerly dry
grassland to spawn. The eggs are broadcast
among the submerged grasses.
Remarks: Highly esteemed as a a food fish;
called the South American “trout.”
Tambaqui aka Black Pacu
Colossoma macropomum (Characidae)
Characins
Distribution: South America: Amazon and
Orinoco basins as wild form; aquacultured
form is widely distributed in South America.
Habitat: Adults: open water of large rivers and
seasonally flooded forests. Young stay in black
waters of flood plains until maturity.
Appearance: Body laterally compressed
with large eyes and an arched back. Color is
basically gray to olive above, dark below often
with spots and blemishes in the middle. All fins
black, pectoral fins small. Size: to 100 cm long
and up to 30 kg.
Diet: Adults: consume fruits and grain during
seasonal flooding. Also feeds on zooplankton,
insects, snails and decaying plants.
Reproduction and Development: Usually
spawn once per year. Open water, substratum
egg scatterers. Non-guarders.
Mortality/Longevity: Life span: 20 yrs. or
more.
Remarks: Used in aquaculture because it can
live in mineral poor waters and is very resistant
to diseases. Marketed fresh and frozen.
Fossils of the living species have been found
in the Miocene.
Silver Tetra
Ctenobrycon spilurus (Characidae)
Characins
Distribution: South America: Orinoco River
basin.
Habitat: Areas of calm water.
Appearance: Deep bodied, laterally
compressed, silvery color with black spot on
caudal peduncle.
Diet: Zooplankton, plants, worms, insects,
crustaceans.
California Academy of Sciences
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Bucktooth Tetra
Exodon paradoxus (Characidae)
Characins
Distribution: South America: Amazon and
Tocantins River basins. Also Guyana.
Habitat: Rivers with sandy bottoms.
Appearance: Light tan with two distinct black
spots (one before the tail and another on the
flank.) Common name comes from the large
protruding teeth. Length about 12 cm.
Diet: Small invertebrates, other fish, and
plants. Will eat scales of larger fish.
Reproduction & Development: Spawns in
open water above substrate. Doesn’t guard
eggs
Remarks: Eating scales of other fishes is a
behavior common to a variety of species.
Scales are nutritional, offering a source of
calcium carbonate and other minerals, as well
as a layer of protein-rich mucus. A reliable
resource, scales are plentiful, available year
round, and readily regrown.
Rummy-nose Tetra
Hemigrammus bleheri (Characidae)
Characins
Distribution: South America, forest streams of
the Rio Negro floodplain.
Habitat: Areas with dense plants and roots.
Appearance: Common name derives from the
distinctive red area around its “nose” and over
the eyes. The body is a silver/gold color with
bold black and white stripes on the caudal fin.
Males and females similar, though males tend
to be slimmer.
Diet: Omnivorous.
Reproduction and Development: Egg
scatterers in open water or on substrate..
Mortality/Longevity: Life span: 3–5 years.
Remarks: A popular fish in the aquarium
trade as it is peaceful and moves in colorful
shoals. One source reported that this species
is an important part of an ornamental fishery
that provides some 60% of the income of the
riverine people from middle Rio Negro. The
rummynose is difficult, though not impossible
to breed and raise in aquaria.
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