In southwestern Ecuador, on the Pacific side of the Andes, lives the remarkable tetra Rhoadsia altipinna. In terms of coloration, this species—also known as the rainbow tetra—resembles an XXL version of the brilliant tetra, Moenkhausia pittieri. But when it comes to behavior, one can’t help but think that this tetra originally planned to become a cichlid. The males of R. altipinna, recognizable by the red edge on their anal fin and which also develop much larger fins as they age, occupy spawning territories and defend them vigorously. The males even engage in direct brood care (in this case, cleaning debris from the eggs).
Unfortunately, the species has become rare in aquariums, as there are currently no exports from Ecuador. The last imports were so long ago that we had to dig quite deep into the archives to find a few pictures of larger specimens showing the male’s red anal fin edge; unfortunately, this feature develops quite late.
From time to time, we are able to offer a few 4–6 cm long juveniles of this fascinating and magnificent species. Males can reach an impressive maximum length of 17 cm. Females always remain considerably smaller; the literature cites 9 cm. Regarding water parameters (total hardness up to approx. 15°dH, pH 6.3–7.5, 22–25°C), care and breeding are considered easy; spacious aquariums and nutritious food are particularly important. While they generally accept any type of standard ornamental fish food, coarse frozen and live food (especially insects) should not be missing from their diet, particularly if egg production in the female is desired.
For our customers: these fish have code 287602 on our stock list. Please note that we supply exclusively to wholesalers.
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
