Home · Characidae · Blood characin
Blood characin (Hyphessobrycon eques) — Characidae

Blood characin

Hyphessobrycon eques
Family: Characidae
LC · Least Concern

The Blood characin (Hyphessobrycon eques) is a freshwater fish of the family Characidae that grows up to 4 cm.

Length
4 cm
Water
Freshwater
Diet
Omnivore
Behaviour
Schooling
Activity
Diurnal
Body shape
Torpedo-shaped
Substrate
Mixed bottom
Danger
Harmless
Edibility
Not eaten

Description

The serpae tetra is a small, colourful tetra from the Amazon and Paraguay basins in South America. The species grows to about 4 cm and has a deep, orange-red body with a dark shoulder spot and a black-and-red dorsal fin. It forms lively schools in calm, plant-rich waters and feeds on small invertebrates, insect larvae and plant matter. It is a very popular aquarium fish. The fish is harmless to humans and is assessed as Least Concern (LC) by the IUCN.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Blood characin?

The Blood characin has a torpedo-shaped body, is mainly red-orange and shows a plain pattern.

Where does the Blood characin live?

The Blood characin lives in fresh water and is mostly found around mixed bottom.

How big does the Blood characin get?

The Blood characin grows to a maximum of about 4 cm.

Is the Blood characin dangerous to humans?

No, the Blood characin is harmless to humans.

Is the Blood characin edible?

The Blood characin is not usually eaten.

Download Fin's Fish Guide

Identify fish in seconds, log your catches and dives. Join the TestFlight beta.

Get the beta →

All data

Identification

Dutch name
Serpae-tetra verified
English name
Blood characin verified
Scientific name
Hyphessobrycon eques
Family
Characidae
Other names
Callistus; Callistus tetra; Jewel tetra; Red serpa; Serpa tetra verified

Appearance

Size class
Small verified
Max length (cm)
4.0 verified
Body shape
Torpedo-shaped sourced
Dominant colour
Red / orange sourced
Pattern
Plain sourced
Tail shape
Forked inferred
Mouth position
Terminal sourced
Lips
Thin sourced
Barbels
No sourced
Dorsal fins
One continuous sourced
Dorsal spines
No sourced

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Freshwater sourced
Substrate
Mixed bottom sourced
Origin
Native verified

Behaviour & biology

Diet
Omnivore sourced
Social behaviour
Schooling sourced
Territorial
No sourced
Activity
Diurnal sourced
Reproduction
Separate sexes sourced
Sexual dimorphism
No sourced

For anglers

Edibility
Not eaten sourced
Fishing method
Geen doelsoort voor de hengelsport; hooguit incidentele vangst of bruikbaar als aasvisje. inferred
Regulations source
FishBase ↗ inferred

Safety

Danger to humans
Harmless sourced

Status & sources

Sources
FishBase via GBIF (DwC-A), CC-BY-NC 4.0

Same genus Hyphessobrycon

More from the family Characidae

Download Fin's Fish Guide

Identify fish in seconds, log your catches and dives. Join the TestFlight beta.

Get the beta →