CHARACINS

At one time all of the fishes that are now grouped in about fifteen different families in the suborder Characoidei were considered to be all in one family, the family Characidae. When the fishes of that family were reclassified , hobbyists had to begin contending with learning a bundle of new family names.  No longer could they comfortably lump hundreds even thousands of very different-looking aquarium fishes all in one family; they had to start getting familiar with new names, new relationships. Because there are so many breeds of fish in this group, it would be nearly impossible for us to list all of them without massive amounts of disk space to be used. 

NOTICE - Because there are so many species of fish in the world there would be no way for one person to be able to research and type the needed information for this massive work in a reasonable amount of time. If you have information to some of these species and possibly others please let us know.  We will be glad to give you the credit. Some resources state that there could be more than 7,000 species of fish in the world.  If you are a fish hobbyist and consider yourself knowledgable on this topic and are willing to share your knowledge let us know. Contact us. 

Characin

 Characin, common name for any member of a family of freshwater fishes that are prevalent in South America but also common in Mexico, Central America, and Africa. More than 1400 species are known. Characins can be recognized by the presence of a short, stublike adipose fin located between the tail and the  dorsal fin. Many species are small and brilliantly colored, such as the neon tetras popular among aquarists. The largest characin is the African tigerfish, which reaches a length of about 1.4 m (about 4.5 ft), while the smallest is the Bolivian pygmy blue characin, which has a length of about 1.5 cm (about 0.6 in). Even though characins tend to be small, with bodies that are fusiform (tapered on both ends) or laterally compressed, many species have body and mouth shapes adapted for capturing a variety of prey and other food. Some species are strictly herbivorous, while others feed on fishes. Species vary from slow, deep-bodied, schooling omnivores to fast, torpedo-shaped, solitary predators. Most characins scatter their eggs among aquatic plants, where the young are protected from predators. Some species migrate during the spawning season to habitats with dense aquatic vegetation.   Piranhas and pakus are among the well-known larger species of characins. The common red-bellied piranha may engage in a feeding frenzy when it encounters a bleeding animal. However, most piranha species are docile vegetarians, feeding on fruits,   seeds, and leaves that have fallen into the water from overhanging trees. The herbivorous Amazonian tambaqui, an excellent food fish, can reach a length of about 1 m (about 3 ft) and a weight of about 30 kg (about 66 lb).  Scientific classification: Characins make up the family Characidae in the order Ostariophysi. The neon tetra is classified as Hyphessobrycon innesi, the African tigerfish as Hydrocynus goliath, the Bolivian pygmy blue characin as Xenurobrycon polyancistrus, the red-bellied piranha as Pygocentrus natereri,   and the tambaqui as Colossoma macropomum.

[Advertising Rates]