Corydoras hastatus bycatch tetras

Caol_ila · Post by **Caol_ila** » 22 Feb 2003, 22:42

Hi!

I stumbled over some Tetras today at the LFS that were in a swarm of Hastatus. I dont have pics online yet but they look exactly the same as the Corys. A little bigger, higher body but the black marking in the tail is identical and as i introduced them they immediately shoaled with my Corys. I bought three of these for -.80 cent.
Another fish in that tank at the lfs was a *to me* hunter tetra. The tail has a spot like the others but red markings instead of white. Also the eye is red colored. The fins are quite long especially the pectorals. It look like a hunter with a big muth reminding me of weitzmanni. Its 4 cm long and the tetras and the habrosus shoaled with it although it didnt seek them staying alone most of the time.

I hope to get some pics online monday so the id will be much easier.

Graeme · Post by **Graeme** » 23 Feb 2003, 01:31

Sounds cool. I'll look forward for the pic's.

Post by **Silurus** » 23 Feb 2003, 01:59

Another fish in that tank at the lfs was a *to me* hunter tetra. The tail has a spot like the others but red markings instead of white. Also the eye is red colored. The fins are quite long especially the pectorals. It look like a hunter with a big muth reminding me of weitzmanni.

This sounds like Gnathocharax steindachneri, which looks like this:

Is your fish it?

Dave Rinaldo · Post by **Dave Rinaldo** » 23 Feb 2003, 03:25

Maybe Odontostilbe(Cheirodon?) kreigi? Corydoras:the most popular armoured catfishes of South America has a pic and says they coexist. I've always wanted that grouping! I have another Tetra(can't remember the name) that looks similar to C. hastatus that I keep, waiting for a group C. hastatus!! All the wholesale lists here in the US say C. hastatus, but always arrive as C. pygmaeus

coelacanth · Post by **coelacanth** » 23 Feb 2003, 14:11

There are numerous Characins that show this tail spot. The one I'm most familiar with is Hyphessobrycon elachys, a gorgeous little fish that is very easy to breed in the aquarium. Ian Fuller also has some of this species, some from me and some wild fish, to set up with C. hastatus to observe their behaviour.

I agree with Heok on the 'predatory' tetra, it sounds like Gnathocharax. Nice little fish, only a threat of you're a small insect really. I've never seen them behaving aggressively in spite of reports.

Post by **Coryman** » 23 Feb 2003, 14:32

I have a group of 20 Hyphessobrycon elachys with 10 C. hastatus I am looking at the relationship between the two. How they react when feeding etc.

sorry about the size of the picture

Ian

Caol_ila · Post by **Caol_ila** » 23 Feb 2003, 16:39

Thx guys!

HH was right on the button with his guess! I guessed they werent so predatory as the Corydoras grouped with it...the didnt look afraid of it. Mine is much more colorfull though shimmering very nicely. And when we returned home from a party i gave the tank a quick check and the fishes pectorals were all black which looked great! Have a digicam for a couple of days but my buddy forgot to give me the usb cable...so ill bring em online on monday most probably.
The tetra looks a bit different with shorter dorsal finnage and an fine blueish iridisating band on the side.
Is the Gnathocharax a rather rare fish? I brought home the lonely fish they had...so a few more wouldnt be bad i guess.
Pics due on Monday. Happy weekend everybody!

coelacanth · Post by **coelacanth** » 23 Feb 2003, 17:06

Caol_ila wrote: Is the Gnathocharax a rather rare fish? I brought home the lonely fish they had...so a few more wouldn't be bad i guess.

Certainly not common in the trade, but I don't know whether that is because they only tend to be imported as by-catch. The most I've been able to get togther at one time was 5, they look good in a small group. Easy fish to care for, I quite fancy trying to breed them at some point.

Caol_ila · Post by **Caol_ila** » 24 Feb 2003, 12:15

Hi!

Finally back home and got the missing usb cable...

heres the pics...maybe the Tetras are the same as Ians. I got another one from a different lfs today for free...again the dudes at the shop missed this one. In all the Tetras have had a great effect on the small corys as the swim in the open more frequent now...have to add that theres Barbs in the tank with them...my girlfriends mixed tank.

the Tailspot-Tetras

the Arowana-Tetra

in a german source it said that the G.steindachneri is widely spread over the Amazon Basin...and its such a nice fish...makes me wonder why noone sells it...

Please let me know if the pics work!

Post by **Silurus** » 24 Feb 2003, 12:21

Your tetras don't look like the same species as Ian's. They actually look identical to Cheirodon notomelas, but without a dark region at the base and front edge of the dorsal fin. They are not C. kriegi because they lack as black spot at the base of the anal fin.
Using the key in GÃ©ry (1977), my best guess is your fish is C. piaba. The only picture I could find below shows a fairly good match:

Caol_ila · Post by **Caol_ila** » 24 Feb 2003, 12:52

thx HH so i guess this a pretty neat fish for 80 cents

hmm could it be Odontestilbe pulchra? or would that be too rare a fish?

Post by **Silurus** » 24 Feb 2003, 12:59

You're welcome. Apart from catfishes, nothing gives me more joy than picking out contaminant tetras. I got my Iguanodectes this way.
I don't think it's O. pulchra as it is said to have a small black caudal spot (the ones on your fish look fairly big).