Blotched darter tetra

Nannocharax macropterus

Also known as Blotched African darter tetra

FreshwaterFish

Blotched darter tetra (Nannocharax macropterus) — The Wet Spot Tropical Fish · Used with permission

Care at a glance

Temperature: 73–82°F (23–28°C)
pH: 6.0–7.5
Adult size: 2.4 in (6 cm)
Minimum tank: 21 gal (80 L)
Temperament: Peaceful
Social behavior: Social
Swim level: Bottom
Difficulty: Medium
Breeding: No record
Rarity: Rare
Origin: Congo basin, central Africa
Family: Distichodontidae

Overview

Another African darter, this one marked with saddle blotches instead of clean bars, and best kept as a loose group of several so they interact. It works the lower part of the tank, resting on its fins among plants and over sand and hopping from spot to spot as it forages. It is peaceful and suits calm, comparable tankmates rather than very small fish. Feed sinking foods and small frozen fare such as bloodworm and daphnia, picked from the substrate and leaves. A group is comfortable in a tank of around 80 liters with sand, marginal planting, and gentle flow.

In the wild

The blotched darter tetra comes from the Congo River basin, where it lives among marginal vegetation along larger rivers in flowing water. Recreate that with a sandy floor, plants around the edges, driftwood, and a moderate current. Hold the temperature at 23 to 28 degrees Celsius and the pH between 6.0 and 7.5. Clean, well oxygenated water and a settled tank keep this active little fish in good form.

Good to know

Nannocharax macropterus is a small distichodontid darter reaching about 6 centimeters. Its name means large-finned, for the well-developed fins it spreads and props on, and it wears rows of dark saddle blotches rather than the bars of its banded relatives. It ranges widely through the Congo basin and beyond. No aquarium spawning has been recorded for it.

Did you know

The name macropterus means large-finned. Those broad, stiffened fins are not just for show: the fish spreads and leans on them to hold its place on the bottom, resting like a tripod on the very fins other tetras use to swim.