Chalceus

The tucanfish, Chalceus erythrurus, is a large characin from parts of the Amazon basin in Peru and Brazil. It lives in the surface waters of floodplain rivers and lakes. The red or yellow caudal fin separates it from the pink-tailed C. macrolepidotus. Fast and a renowned jumper, it needs a lot of swimming space and a well-fitting cover, and it does best singly or in a group of more than six.

The pink-tailed chalceus, Chalceus macrolepidotus, is a large characin found throughout northern South America, from Colombia to French Guiana. It inhabits the surface layers of highly oxygenated rivers. Its very large scales tend to fall off during transport, so new imports can be delicate, though once acclimatised it usually proves fairly hardy. It does best singly or in a group of more than six, since smaller groups tend to scrap.