Banded Pyrrhulina

About

The banded pyrrhulina (Pyrrhulina vittata) is a small but characterful fish from the upper Amazon basin, where it inhabits slow-moving or still waters with plenty of leaf litter and overhanging vegetation. It belongs to a group of surface-oriented characins that are easy to overlook in the trade but genuinely rewarding once you get to know them. The body is slender and torpedo-shaped, marked with a horizontal dark band running from the snout through the eye and along the flanks. Hence both the common and alternate names. Fins can show warm orange or reddish tinting in well-conditioned fish, particularly in males. Adults stay quite small, rarely pushing past an inch and a half, which makes them appealing for modestly sized setups. Despite the small frame, this is an active, alert fish that spends most of its time near the water surface, watching for insects and small invertebrates. Its natural diet in the wild. Males can be territorial with one another, so keeping a single male with one or more females, or providing enough visual breaks in the tank, helps keep the peace. Soft, tannin-stained water with subdued lighting brings out the best colors and most natural behavior. A rewarding choice for the hobbyist ready to move beyond the usual community staples.