Edit Megalamphodus sweglesi

You can suggest changes to this profile. A moderator will review each change.

Name

Scientific name

Megalamphodus sweglesi

Described by

Authority Géry, Year 1961

Family

Characidae

Common names

Red Phantom Tetra

Photograph credits

All 10 credited

Summary

The red phantom tetra, Megalamphodus sweglesi, is a small characid endemic to the upper and middle Río Orinoco watershed in Colombia and Ve…

Size and aquarium

Maximum size

35mm, standard length

Aquarium size

Minimum length 80 cm, Minimum depth 30 cm

Water

Water conditions

Temperature 20–28°C, pH 4.5–7.5

Hardness

1–12dGH

Conductivity

Not recorded

Behaviour

Temperament

Peaceful

Community suitability

Community-safe

Where it lives

Countries, regions, rivers and lakes

Colombia, Venezuela, Aguaro, Apure, Arauca, Atabapo, Caicara, Caname, Capanaparo, Caura, Cinaruco, Guatiquía, Guaviare, Inírida, Manacacías, Manzanares, Meta, Metica, Muco, Orinoco, Parucito, Tiquire, Tomo, Ventuari, Vichada, Parú (Venezuela)

Writing

Etymology

Megalamphodus: from the Ancient Greek μεγαλάμφοδος (megalámphodos), meaning 'with spacious ways'. Eigenmann did not explain the name, but it probably refers to…

Distribution

Endemic to the upper and middle Río Orinoco watershed in Colombia (departments of Meta, Casanare, Arauca, Vichada, and Guainía) and Venezuela (states of Amazon…

Habitat

Apparently favours minor tributaries, smaller rivers, oxbows, and flooded forests rather than main river channels. It occurs throughout the vast llanos regions…

Apparently favours minor tributaries, smaller rivers, oxbows, and flooded forests rather than main river channels.

It occurs throughout the vast llanos regions of Colombia and Venezuela, and in the latter country is often associated with habitats known as morichals which tend to contain transparent, clear water and sandy substrates, often with dense growth of aquatic plants or riparian vegetation among which the fish take shelter.

In other parts of its range it has been collected from both flowing blackwater habitats and still floodplain lakes, while the majority of rivers and wetlands across its range are subject to extreme flooding during the annual rainy season.

One example of a natural habitat is the Río Cinaruco, a low nutrient, blackwater tributary of the Orinoco in southwestern Venezuela which comprises a meandering river channel with numerous interconnected lagoons and floodplain lakes.

The latter two biotope-types feature reduced water flow, increased turbidity and temperature, a greater accumulation of leaf litter, and higher densities of zooplankton than the main channel.

Other fishes occurring in the Río Orinoco basin and available in the trade include Brochis delphax, Platydoras costatus, Baryancistrus beggini, Hypancistrus inspector, Panqolus maccus, Panaque nigrolineatus, Hemigrammus rhodostomus, H. stictus, Paracheirodon axelrodi, Pristella maxillaris, Copella nattereri, Biotodoma wavrini, Heros severus, Mesonauta insignis, Satanoperca daemon and Uaru fernandezyepezi.

Editing needs JavaScript. This is the text as it was last saved.

Where does this come from?

My own experienceFor example, I've kept twelve in a planted 60 cm tank since March 2024.A website I sawFor example, an IUCN Red List assessment, a museum catalogue or a FishBase page.A paperFor example, Marshall et al. (2011), Water temperature differences in interfluvial palm swamp habitats of Paracheirodon axelrodi and P. simulans.A book, or something not onlineFor example, Tappin (2010), Rainbowfishes: their care and keeping in captivity.Something already on the pageFor example, the Behaviour and compatibility section already says this.

Web address

Paste the address of the page that says this. What counts as a source

DOI

Paste a DOI and we will look up the rest of the reference. A DOI looks like 10.11646/zootaxa.4694.4.1, and most papers print it on the first page.

Title

Enter the title of the paper, book or page. If you leave it empty, we will use the website's address.

Authors

Separate authors with semicolons, e.g. Tan, H.H.; Ng, P.K.L.

Year

Journal or publisher

Pages

Enter the page that says this, e.g. 218 or 218–221.

Anything worth adding

Describe what you saw, or which part of the source says this.

Aquarium size

An aquarium with base dimensions of 80 ∗ 30 cm or equivalent should be the smallest considered.

Maintenance

Perhaps looks best in an arrangement comprising a sandy substrate plus some driftwood roots and branches, or heavily-planted planted set-up. The addition of dr…

Water conditions

Not written yet

Diet

Likely to be omnivorous feeding on small invertebrates, crustacea, filamentous algae, fallen fruit and suchlike in nature. In aquaria it may survive on a diet …

Behaviour and compatibility

Very peaceful making it an ideal resident of the well-researched community aquarium. It is perhaps best-maintained alongside similarly-sized characids, gastero…

Sexual dimorphism

Adult males develop extended dorsal and anal fins, while females are deeper-bodied.

Reproduction

An egg-scattering free spawner exhibiting no parental care. When in good condition adults will spawn often and in a mature aquarium it is possible that small n…

Notes

This small species is a popular aquarium fish and is bred on a commercial basis in several countries, with wild fishes relatively scarce in the ornamental trad…

References

12 on this profile

Name

Scientific name

Described by

Family

Common names

Photograph credits

Summary

Size and aquarium

Maximum size

Aquarium size

Water

Water conditions

Hardness

Conductivity

Behaviour

Temperament

Social needs

Community suitability

Where it lives

Countries, regions, rivers and lakes

Writing

Etymology

Distribution

Habitat

Aquarium size

Maintenance

Water conditions

Diet

Behaviour and compatibility

Sexual dimorphism

Reproduction

Notes

References

References