Banded darter tetra

Nannocharax fasciatus

Also known as Banded African darter tetra

FreshwaterFish

Care at a glance

Temperature: 73–82°F (23–28°C)
pH: 6.0–7.5
Adult size: 2.6 in (6.5 cm)
Minimum tank: 21 gal (80 L)
Temperament: Peaceful
Social behavior: Social
Swim level: Bottom
Difficulty: Medium
Breeding: No record
Rarity: Rare
Origin: Coastal rivers of West Africa
Family: Distichodontidae

Overview

This is an African darter, a bottom-hugging characin that props itself on its fins and hops across the floor rather than swimming open water. It is sociable, so keep a small group of six or so, and it does best with calm, similarly sized tankmates rather than tiny or very delicate fish. Give it a sand floor, smooth stones, and a gentle current it can dart between. Feed sinking foods and small frozen items such as bloodworm and brine shrimp, which it picks from the substrate and plant surfaces. A group settles into a tank of around 80 liters with open sand and cover at the edges.

In the wild

The banded darter tetra lives in the rivers and streams of West Africa, broadly from Senegal across to Cameroon, in clear, flowing water over sand and stone. Give it a sandy floor with rounded rocks and driftwood, good oxygenation, and a moderate current to work against. Keep it warm at 23 to 28 degrees Celsius, with pH from 6.0 to 7.5. It is sensitive to fresh, unsettled water, so a mature tank and steady maintenance suit it best.

Good to know

Nannocharax fasciatus is a small African darter in the family Distichodontidae, reaching about 6.5 centimeters. It carries the dark cross-bars its name records, though the various banded Nannocharax are notoriously hard to tell apart. Like a South American darter characin it perches on stiffened fins and hops along the bottom, an example of two unrelated fish evolving the same way of life. It has no aquarium breeding record.

Did you know

An ocean away from South America's darter characins, this African fish arrived at the same design: a barred, bottom-perching characin that rests propped on its fins and hops rather than cruising. Two separate lineages, one solution.