Splash Tetra

About

Found in the coastal drainages of Pará and Amapá in Brazil, Copella carsevennensis is a small lebiasinid that spends most of its life near the water's surface in clear, slow-moving creeks and ponds. It rarely exceeds an inch and a half, yet what it lacks in size it more than compensates for in behavioral interest. This species is closely related to the so-called splash tetras, and like its relatives it engages in a remarkable reproductive ritual: paired males and females launch themselves clear of the water together, depositing fertilized eggs on the underside of an overhanging leaf. The male then tends the clutch by repeatedly splashing the eggs with his tail to keep them moist until they hatch. A level of parental investment you rarely see in small characins. In the aquarium, this species is peaceful but does best in a setup tailored to its needs rather than a mixed community tank. A group of eight to ten individuals works well, ideally alongside similarly-sized characids, small catfishes, or non-aggressive cichlids. Males competing for females will display their most vivid colors and their most interesting behavior, making a species-focused tank genuinely rewarding. It turns up occasionally in the trade among wild-caught imports from the Guianas region, so worth snapping up when you find it.