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Description
Hyphessobrycon melanostichos, the black stripe tetra, is a characid of about 3.7 cm, endemic to the Doze de Outubro River, in the upper Tapajós basin, in Brazil. Its name comes from the Greek, «black row», for the dark longitudinal stripe on the body. It resembles Hyphessobrycon sp. «Blue Ribbon», but has a lighter, more streamlined body, a smaller humeral spot and red tones.
It is an easy, shoaling fish of soft water. It can become territorial in a small tank, but in a group of ten or more it causes no problems.
Behavior
Gregarious: it forms loose hierarchies in which rival males fight for females and for position in the group, and show better colour before rivals. In small tanks, or with boundaries, it can be territorial; with ten or more it stops being so. In a large tank it shows almost no aggression to other species, though long-finned companions should be watched.
It lives well with robust mid-water characids of similar size, hatchetfish, lebiasinids, small catfish and small cichlids.
Avoid housing it with long, delicate-finned fish.
Habitat
Hyphessobrycon melanostichos is endemic to the Doze de Outubro River, in the upper Tapajós basin, in Brazil. It is found close to the margin, in semi-lentic stretches of a shallow river with clear water, a bottom of sand with scattered small stones, and moderate submerged and riparian vegetation. A similar fish, H. cf. melanostichos, lives in the Teles Pires River; it is unclear whether it will be described as a new species.
Hyphessobrycon melanostichos is a schooling species, which means that in the wild it lives and moves in large, coordinated groups.
Keep at least 10 individuals so they feel comfortable and their stress level stays low.
Details
🌊 Water parameters
🐠 Minimum tank size
Breeding
It is a free spawner that scatters its eggs, with no parental care. In good condition it spawns often, and in a mature tank with plenty of moss a few fry may appear without intervention. To get more, a separate, controlled set-up is used.
Diet
Probably an omnivore, of small invertebrates, crustaceans, filamentous algae and fallen fruit.
- Staple: quality dry food.
- Supplement: bloodworm, daphnia and moina, live or frozen.
What about your tank?
Enter your tank's values to see only the compatible species that fit them. Litres apply to fish.
Compatible fish
General guidance based on water parameters, behaviour and known exceptions; always review the individual animals' and aquarium's specific needs.
They share water: pH 5.5–7 and 24–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 23–27 °C.
They share water: pH 5.5–7.5 and 23–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 24–28 °C.
They share water: pH 5.5–7.5 and 23–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 24–28 °C.
They share water: pH 5.5–7 and 23–28 °C.
They share water: pH 5.5–7 and 23–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 26–28 °C. They only meet at the very edge, so the tank has to hold that value.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 23–25 °C.
They share water: pH 5.5–7 and 23–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7 and 24–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 23–27 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 23–27 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 23–27 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 24–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 23–26 °C.
They share water: pH 5.5–7 and 24–27 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 23–26 °C.
They share water: pH 5.5–7.5 and 23–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 24–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 25–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 24–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 24–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 23–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 23–25 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 24–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 23–24 °C.
They share water: pH 5.5–7 and 27–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 24–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 23–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 23–27 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 23–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 23–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 25–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 23–28 °C.
They share water: pH 5.5–7.5 and 23–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 23–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 24–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 24–28 °C.
They share water: pH 5.5–7 and 24–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 26–28 °C.
They share water: pH 5.5–7 and 23–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 23–28 °C.
They share water: pH 5.5–7.5 and 23–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 24–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 24–27 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 23–28 °C.
They share water: pH 5.5–7 and 24–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 23–26 °C.
They share water: pH 5.5–7 and 23–26 °C.
They share water: pH 5.5–6.5 and 23–27 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.2 and 23–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 23–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 23–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 23–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 23–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 24–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 25–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 23–24 °C.
They share water: pH 5.5–7.5 and 23–28 °C.
They share water: pH 5.5–7 and 23–28 °C.
They share water: pH 5.5–7.5 and 23–27 °C.
They share water: pH 5.5–7.5 and 23–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 23–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.2 and 23–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 23–27 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 23–26 °C.
They share water: pH 5.6–7.2 and 23–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.2 and 24–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.2 and 24–28 °C.
They share water: pH 5.5–7 and 26–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 23–28 °C.
They share water: pH 5.5–7 and 23–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 23–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 25–28 °C.
They share water: pH 5.5–6.5 and 24–28 °C.
They share water: pH 5.5–7 and 24–28 °C.
They share water: pH 5.5–7 and 23–28 °C.
They share water: pH 5.5–7.5 and 23–27 °C.
They share water: pH 5.5–7.2 and 23–28 °C.
They share water: pH 5.5–7.5 and 23–28 °C.
They share water: pH 5.5–7.5 and 24–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 23–26 °C.
They share water: pH 5.5–7.5 and 23–27 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 23–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 23–28 °C.
They share water: pH 5.5–7.5 and 24–27 °C.
They share water: pH 5.5–7.5 and 23–27 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 23–28 °C. They only meet at the very edge, so the tank has to hold that value.
Compatible invertebrates
General guidance based on water parameters, behaviour and known exceptions; always review the individual animals' and aquarium's specific needs.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 23–28 °C.
They share water: pH 5.5–6.5 and 23–24 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 23–27 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 23–25 °C.
They share water: pH 7.5 and 24–28 °C. They only meet at the very edge, so the tank has to hold that value.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 23–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 23–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7.5 and 26–28 °C. They only meet at the very edge, so the tank has to hold that value.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 23–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 23–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 23–26 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 23–28 °C.
They share water: pH 5.8–6.8 and 23–24 °C.
They share water: pH 5.8–6.8 and 23–24 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 23–27 °C.
They share water: pH 7.5 and 27–28 °C. They only meet at the very edge, so the tank has to hold that value.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 23–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 23–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 23–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 23–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7.5 and 27–28 °C. They only meet at the very edge, so the tank has to hold that value.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 23–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 23–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 23–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 23–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 23–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 23–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 23–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 23–26 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 23–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 23–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 23–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 23–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 23–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 23–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 23–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 23–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 23–28 °C.
They share water: pH 5.5–6.5 and 23–24 °C.
Sources
- FishBaseFroese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2026. FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication.
- Seriously FishSeriously Fish. Hyphessobrycon melanostichos. Ficha de especie; consultada 2026-10.
Water: FishBase gives no pH, hardness or temperature (only the climate class, tropical); the ranges are those of Seriously Fish (pH 5.5-7.5, 0-10 dGH and 23-28 °C). Size: 3.7 cm SL in FishBase and 37 mm SL in Seriously Fish. Tank: Seriously Fish gives a base of 60 × 30 cm and in its text recommends a group of 12 or more in a 90 cm tank; the profile gives 90 cm so that the minimum tank covers the minimum group. Name «black stripe tetra»: the one recorded by Seriously Fish. Family: GBIF keeps it in Characidae and FishBase in Acestrorhamphidae; the profile follows GBIF.
Litres per fish and minimum tank height and depth: the profile's own judgement. Seriously Fish gives only the tank base and FishBase gives no tank sizes.
Lifespan: the profile's own estimate; the sources consulted do not give it.
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