Splashing Tetra
Like other South American tetras, splashing tetras are colorful creatures. Their scales are painted with reds and blues. Splashing tetras generally grow to be about one inch (three centimeters) long.
Like other characins, splashing tetras breathe through gills located on the sides of their heads. Unlike humans, who have lungs and are able to breathe oxygen from the air, splashing tetras have to find the oxygen they need from the water in which they live. They take water into their mouths, use the oxygen, and filter the waste chemicals out through their gills.
Splashing tetras live in the freshwater rivers and streams of South America. They swim through these rivers and streams by the use of their many fins. Splashing tetras move their caudal, or tail, fins from side to side to propel themselves through the water. They also paddle through the water with the pectoral, or side, fins located behind their gills. Splashing tetras keep balanced in the water by the use of their dorsal and anal, or back and belly, fins.
As omnivorous fish, they live on a diet of both meat and plant matter. Being very small fish, most of their diet consists of plant algae and other tiny, living organisms.
Splashing tetras have a very interesting mating process. Most characins scatter their eggs throughout the water, but not splashing tetras. These little fish jump out of the water and onto an overhanging leaf to lay their eggs. This commotion is what gives them the name splashing tetras. The process begins with a male leading a female to a chosen leaf about one inch (three centimeters) above the water. The female hops up onto the leaf, lays a few eggs, and then hops back into the water. Once the female is back into the water, the male hops up onto the leaf, fertilizes the eggs, and then, he too, splashes back into the water. This system continues until about 200 eggs have been fertilized. After mating, the female swims away, but the male stays and splashes water onto the eggs while they incubate. The incubation period is the growth period between the fertilizing and hatching of the eggs. After about three days, the young fish, called fry, hatch out of their eggs and fall into the water. Once the fry are in the water, the male leaves them alone to develop on their own.
It is not known how long splashing tetras live.
Source: Encyclopedia of Animals
Like other characins, splashing tetras breathe through gills located on the sides of their heads. Unlike humans, who have lungs and are able to breathe oxygen from the air, splashing tetras have to find the oxygen they need from the water in which they live. They take water into their mouths, use the oxygen, and filter the waste chemicals out through their gills.
Splashing tetras live in the freshwater rivers and streams of South America. They swim through these rivers and streams by the use of their many fins. Splashing tetras move their caudal, or tail, fins from side to side to propel themselves through the water. They also paddle through the water with the pectoral, or side, fins located behind their gills. Splashing tetras keep balanced in the water by the use of their dorsal and anal, or back and belly, fins.
As omnivorous fish, they live on a diet of both meat and plant matter. Being very small fish, most of their diet consists of plant algae and other tiny, living organisms.
Splashing tetras have a very interesting mating process. Most characins scatter their eggs throughout the water, but not splashing tetras. These little fish jump out of the water and onto an overhanging leaf to lay their eggs. This commotion is what gives them the name splashing tetras. The process begins with a male leading a female to a chosen leaf about one inch (three centimeters) above the water. The female hops up onto the leaf, lays a few eggs, and then hops back into the water. Once the female is back into the water, the male hops up onto the leaf, fertilizes the eggs, and then, he too, splashes back into the water. This system continues until about 200 eggs have been fertilized. After mating, the female swims away, but the male stays and splashes water onto the eggs while they incubate. The incubation period is the growth period between the fertilizing and hatching of the eggs. After about three days, the young fish, called fry, hatch out of their eggs and fall into the water. Once the fry are in the water, the male leaves them alone to develop on their own.
It is not known how long splashing tetras live.
Source: Encyclopedia of Animals
posted by James at 1:04 PM
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