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Brown's tetra (Moenkhausia browni) — Characidae

Brown's tetra

Moenkhausia browni
Family: Characidae

The Brown's tetra (Moenkhausia browni) is a freshwater fish of the family Characidae that grows up to 8 cm.

Length
8.2 cm
Water
Freshwater
Diet
Omnivore
Behaviour
Schooling
Activity
Diurnal
Body shape
Flat / disc-shaped
Substrate
Mixed bottom
Danger
Harmless
Edibility
Not eaten

Description

Brown's tetra is a small characin (tetra) from northern South America. The species grows to about 8 cm and has a silvery, laterally compressed body, often with a dark spot on the tail base and a shiny eye rim. It lives in schools in clear streams and rivers and eats small insects, larvae and plant material. The fish is harmless to humans.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Brown's tetra?

The Brown's tetra has a flattened, disc-shaped body, is mainly silver-grey and shows a spots pattern.

Where does the Brown's tetra live?

The Brown's tetra lives in fresh water and is mostly found around mixed bottom.

How big does the Brown's tetra get?

The Brown's tetra grows to a maximum of about 8 cm.

Is the Brown's tetra dangerous to humans?

No, the Brown's tetra is harmless to humans.

Is the Brown's tetra edible?

The Brown's tetra is not usually eaten.

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All data

Identification

Dutch name
Browns tetra verified
English name
Brown's tetra verified
Scientific name
Moenkhausia browni
Family
Characidae

Appearance

Size class
Small verified
Max length (cm)
8.2 verified
Body shape
Flat / disc-shaped sourced
Dominant colour
Silver / grey sourced
Pattern
Spots 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 Moenkhausia

More from the family Characidae

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