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Aquarium fish Long-Finned Characin

Family: Characidae.

Distribution: Tropical West Africa, from Sierra Leone toZaire.

Description:
                      Fish shape: elongated body, very compressed sides, dorsal fin approximately in the middle of back olive green to yellow, sides muddy yellow with a beautiful silversheen. Underside silvery white.
                     Size: up to 16 cm.
                     Sexual differences: male high-backed, with dorsal-fin rays extending as far as the caudal fin. The female has a crooked line along the back and a similar one along the belly: the dorsalfin does not have extended rays.

Environment: A schooling fish occupying the middle water levels.
Temperature: 23-25 C, pH: value about 6.5.
Water hardness: up to 10 general hardness.
Illumination: Strong lightingsome sun. Substrate: dark bottom, some floating plants.
Furnishing: a largetank with about half its area planted.

Feeding: Live food,plenty of insects and vegetation.

Biology:
               Behavior:lively, peaceful schooling fish.
           Reproduction: prepare a tank 1 meter deep with water of pH 6-7 and 6-7 general hardness and some nylon netting held down with stones as support for the eggs. The young fish eat rotifers.
           Social life and compatibility: good to keep with other Africancharacins.