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417 species in our list are a good match.
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How hard to tell: Easy
Tip: Dorsal fin shape
From the checked notes: “Adult males have greatly extended dorsal, pelvic and anal fins (the tall, sickle-shaped dorsal is the easiest clue) and tend to be slimmer; females have shorter fins.” Numbers sit on the part of the body each difference is about. Tap a picture to see it bigger.
Common problems. Tap one to see the signs. This is a guide, not a diagnosis.
Egg-scatterer · Hard
Egg scatterer with no parental care.
Buy a group of 6-8 and let them pair up. Males have a long dorsal fin.
40-60 L tank with soft, acidic water, mops or plants and dim light.
Soft acid water, warm temperature and good feeding.
Around 100-200 eggs; hatch in about 24-36 hours; fry can be tricky.
Feed infusoria or green water for days 1-3, then newly hatched brine shrimp and microworms. Keep light low early on. Grow out in a larger tank once fish are about 1 cm.
A deep-bodied tetra from the upper Amazon with a red humeral spot on its side, the 'bleeding heart'; its name erythrostigma means 'red mark'.
Henry Weed Fowler described the bleeding heart tetra in 1943. The red spot on its side, like a small heart, gives it its name. It has been sold in the hobby since the mid-20th century.
First described by Henry W. Fowler in 1943.
15 facts checked with sources
Recent rename: moved from Hyphessobrycon to Megalamphodus in the 2024 reclassification of Characidae (Melo et al. 2024). Originally Hemigrammus erythrostigma Fowler 1943; H. rubrostigma Hoedeman 1956 is a synonym. Seriously Fish still uses Hyphessobrycon. Confusion risk: Seriously Fish describes a 'bleeding heart' subgroup of three look-alikes; H. socolofi (lesser bleeding heart) and H. pyrrhonotus are sometimes sold under this name. H. pyrrhonotus has a red wedge-shaped patch on the back that M. erythrostigma lacks.
FishBase: Megalamphodus erythrostigma summary · Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes: Hyphessobrycon rubrostigma · Wikipedia: Bleeding heart tetra · Seriously Fish: Hyphessobrycon erythrostigmaSubfamily Megalamphodinae. Seriously Fish still uses Characidae.
FishBase: Megalamphodus erythrostigma summary · Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes: Hyphessobrycon rubrostigma · Seriously Fish: Hyphessobrycon erythrostigmaBoth give SL (standard length): FishBase 6.1 cm, Seriously Fish 6.0 cm. Legacy 6.5 cm is plausible as a total length but no TL figure was found.
FishBase: Megalamphodus erythrostigma summary · Seriously Fish: Hyphessobrycon erythrostigmaLegacy range lies within Seriously Fish's 21-28.
Seriously Fish: Hyphessobrycon erythrostigma · FishBase: Megalamphodus erythrostigma summaryInside Seriously Fish's 4.0-7.5; FishBase is narrower (5.6-7.2).
Seriously Fish: Hyphessobrycon erythrostigma · FishBase: Megalamphodus erythrostigma summaryNew value (legacy has none). Both sources agree on a maximum of 12.
Seriously Fish: Hyphessobrycon erythrostigma · FishBase: Megalamphodus erythrostigma summary90 x 30 cm base x 30 cm height = 81 L; Seriously Fish lists ~81 litres. FishBase says aquaria of at least 80 cm length. Legacy 100 L is more generous than the sourced minimum.
Seriously Fish: Hyphessobrycon erythrostigmaFishBase says groups of 5 or more; Seriously Fish (preferred) says at least 8-10.
Seriously Fish: Hyphessobrycon erythrostigmaNo source names a swimming level.
FishBase: Megalamphodus erythrostigma summaryLegacy care 2 corresponds to moderate.
Seriously Fish: Hyphessobrycon erythrostigmaNew value (legacy has none). Legacy producer list says 'Amazon basin, Brazil' for wild fish, which fits.
Seriously Fish: Hyphessobrycon erythrostigma · FishBase: Megalamphodus erythrostigma summary · Wikipedia: Bleeding heart tetraEgg-scatterer verified. 'Tricky' is not stated by any source checked (Seriously Fish gives no breeding difficulty).
Seriously Fish: Hyphessobrycon erythrostigmaVerified from Wikipedia only (last resort); it says the name alludes to the vermilion humeral spot.
Wikipedia: Bleeding heart tetra