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Hemigrammus erythrozonus, Durbin, 1909

Origin:Guyana, Essequibo river. Other reports also include the Amazon river system, Rio Sao Francisci and Rio Paraguay.

Etymology: erythrozonus referes to the red stripe.

Synonyms: Hemigrammus gracilis, Auct, 1954

First European import: 1933, probably from the USA

Description: See picture

Care:Keep a group of 6 of these fish in a tank filled with neutral, or slightly acidic water. Medium hard water can be used, but it's recommended to use soft water. Peat filtration and shady tanks with a dark soil really get the fish to show their colors. The fish will inhabit the middle regions of the tank, and require some free swimming space and some planted regions on the back and sides of the tank among which they will find shelter.

Temperature:24-28 degrees

Feeding:Omnivorous, all food is accepted.

Size: Up to 4.5 cm

pH: 6.0-7.5

Breeding: Not too difficult. Soft clean water is required to get the fish to breed, KH below 1, temperature 22-29 degrees(the fish are easier to spawn at higher temperatures). The fish can be bred in pairs or in groups, and will deposit the up to 300 eggs per female on the plants(Myriophyllum, Cabomba)in the breeding tank. Usually spawning occurs in the morning, and starts with active swimming of the fish, often up and down against the glass. The eggs aren't very sticky, and most will fall on the bottom of the tank. Remove the parents after spawning. At 25 degrees feeding infusoria should start after 4 to 5 days, and Artemia nauplii can be fed 3 days later.When fed well the fry can be spawned again after 8-9 months, and are fully grown in a year.

Sexual dimorphism: Males are thinner.

Prices: Netherlands: around 2 €

Additional: Although currently placed in the Hemigrammus genus, some fish have scales on the caudal fin, but others don't. According to Fraser-Brunner there may be several species with a similar appearance. According to Gery, these fish should be classified in the Cheirodon genus

Picture references:described to be a li*&*&*&*&*&*v

References:

A van den Nieuwenhuizen(1961): Hemigrammus Erythrozonus, de vuurneon. Het Aquarium, jrg 31, pp 253-256.

Baensch, H. A., Riehl, R.(1982): Aquarien Atlas I. Mergus Verlag, Melle, Germany.

Hoedeman, J. J.(1969): Aquariumvissen encyclopedie 3. Elsevier Nederland B. V., Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

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