Bleeding Heart Tetra

About

A rarely described member of the bleeding heart tetra group, Hyphessobrycon pyrrhonotus is the smallest of three closely related species and the one with the most restricted natural range. Found only in a limited section of the Negro River basin in South America. What sets it apart from its better-known relatives is a bold, wedge-shaped patch of red pigmentation running along the upper body from below the dorsal fin all the way to the caudal base. In dominant or well-fed males this red area can spread forward toward the head and snout, making rival males especially vivid during displays. Like the other bleeding heart tetras, it carries a reddish spot on the shoulder, but it lacks the fin hooks seen on mature male H. erythrostigma, which makes it a little easier to keep in a mixed group. Despite being tagged as aggressive in some references, the behavior is mostly male-to-male territorial sparring rather than outright hostility toward other species. And keeping a group of eight or more, with both sexes represented, channels that energy into fascinating courtship and dominance displays. It works well alongside other small characins, smaller catfishes, and non-predatory cichlids of similar size. Soft, acidic water that mirrors its blackwater origins will bring out the best color in this species.