This member of the family Characidae is well known for its unique appearance. No protection plans are in place however, this species exists in protected areas of Venezuela, Guyana, and Suriname. ![]() Threats to this species’ natural habitat include overdevelopment, agricultural runoff, and other forms of pollution. While the IUCN Red List notes that this species is “stable,” there are areas where the wild population of x-ray tetras is sporadic or in extensive decline. They tolerate both fresh and slightly brackish water and love areas with dense aquatic vegetation, especially when they are spawning. These tetras live in both rapidly moving and still waters and can be found in tributaries, swamps, and coastal regions. Their migration patterns take them from clear, inland streams during the dry season to marshlands and flooded plains during the rainy season. The transparency of their skin is thought to be a form of protection as predators find it much harder to spot them (along with their light yellow markings) amongst the dense vegetation, and shimmering water.This highly adaptable fish inhabits a wide range of environments in South America, including areas in Brazil, French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname, and Venezuela. The Weberian apparatus (the bony structure) in the X-Ray Tetra’s body works by transmitting sound waves through their vertebrate, that have been received by the swim bladder and are then taken to the inner ear, meaning that the X-Ray Tetra has excellent hearing. ![]() Populations are thought to be the most under threat from the rising levels of pollution in the water and habitat loss in general. In the wild, X-Ray Tetra are preyed upon by a number of aquatic predators including larger fish and frogs, and are also threatened by birds and snakes if they are closer to the water’s surface. The small size of the X-Ray Tetra means that they should not be kept in the same aquarium as larger, predatory fish, but will co-inhabit the tank peacefully with other small, schooling fish that pose them no threat. In artificial communities, X-Ray Tetra need a variety of food sources including Brine Shrimp and Bloodworm alongside the standard flakes and pellets to ensure that they have a fully nutritious diet. Although they are also known to supplement their diet with aquatic plants, they are predominantly micro-predators that feed on small invertebrates. X-Ray Tetra primarily hunt worms, insects and small crustaceans that live close to the river bed and their fry tend to feed on Insect larvae. Like many other small species of fish that live in the Amazon, X-Ray Tetra is an omnivorous animal whose diet is made up of both animals and plants. X-Ray Tetra usually live for three or four years in the wild but can get to older ages in captivity. Once able to swim, the small and dull white young, are able to find better food sources and soon develop their characteristic adult markings. (when she is ready to spawn, the see-through skin means that her eggs can also be easily seen) X-Ray Tetra fry begin to hatch as early as 24 hours later and become free swimming within a few days. Unlike many similar fish who give birth to live young, the female X-Ray Tetra lays between 300 – 400 eggs by scattering them amongst the vegetation. ![]() During the rainy season, X-Ray Tetra return to the flood-lands to spawn. (this bony structure is also found in many of their relatives) Females are generally slightly larger and rounder than the slenderer males, although the two are very similar in appearance. This is a relatively small species of fish that actually has a bony internal structure known as the Weberian apparatus, which is used in picking up sound waves, and contributes to their acute sense of hearing. The X-Ray Tetra also has a re-tipped tail and strikingly striped dorsal and anal fins that are yellow, black and white in color. The scales of the X-Ray Tetra are a silvery-yellowish color that is very faint, looking almost golden in some lights. The most distinctive feature of the X-Ray Tetra is the translucent layer of skin that covers its small body, allowing the fish backbone to be clearly seen. Although the X-Ray Tetra is the only known species in its genus, it is closely related to other small and colorful South American fish, including the nearly 100 other tetra species. They were first described by Ulrey in 1894 and have since become one of the most popular freshwater fish kept in artificial aquariums today. The X-Ray Tetra is a small species of schooling fish that is naturally found in the Amazon rivers coastal waters in South America. Pristella maxillaris, the only species in the genus Pristella, is commonly known as the X-Ray fish or X-Ray Tetra because of its translucent body.
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