Has been recorded from major river channels, smaller tributaries, and floodplain lakes, many of which comprise acidic, mineral-poor blackwater environments with brownish, tannin-stained water, although it has been observed to inhabit clear waters as well.

Many of its habitats lie within the Venezuelan and Colombian llanos, a vast, highly biodiverse system of tropical savannah grasslands, seasonally-flooded plains and forests covering an area measuring almost 600,000 square kilo…

T. stellatus is superficially similar to its only congener T. securis, but can immediately be identified by the presence (vs. absence) of a prominent dark spot in the dorsal-fin. It is sometimes traded as ‘platinum hatchetfish’.

The genus Thoracocharax was originally erected by Fowler in 1906 as a subgenus of Gasteropelecus, but was elevated to generic status by Weitzman (1960).

The majority of records derive from the Río Apure watershed in southwestern Venezuela, where C. habrosus has been collected in the states of Portuguesa, Cojedes, Barinas, Guárico, and Apure. Its distribution in Colombia is less clear but it is known with certainty from the Río Arauca and Río Casanare, the latter a tributary of the lower Río Meta, and it makes sense that it should also be found in other left bank Orinoco affluents between the Meta and Apure, which include the ríos Cinaruco and Capanaparo.

A beautiful species that's not often seen for sale in the hobby, and is usually a little more expensive than other tetras when available. This is mainly due to the wild caught nature of most specimens entering the trade. It can be a little delicate when initially imported, and is sensitive to deteriorating water conditions in general. As a result, it's not a good choice for the beginner, and should only be added to well-matured tanks.

As with the closely related Hemigrammus, the ta…