The X-Ray Tetra is a small species of schooling Fish that is naturally found in the Amazon River's coastal waters in South America. The X-Ray Tetra is also known as the Golden Pristella Tetra and the Water Goldfinch due
to the faint golden colouration of their translucent skin. They were
first described by Ulrey in 1894 and have since become one of the most
popular freshwater Fish kept in artificial aquariums today. Although the
X-Ray Tetra is the only known species in it's genus, it is
closely related to other small and colourful South American Fish,
including the nearly 100 other Tetra species.
The most distinctive feature of the X-Ray Tetra
is the translucent layer of skin that covers it's small body, allowing
the Fish's backbone to be clearly seen. The scales of the X-Ray Tetra
are a silvery-yellowish colour that is very faint, looking almost golden
in some lights. The X-Ray Tetra also has a re-tipped tail and
strikingly striped dorsal and anal fins that are yellow, black and white
in colour. 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 (this bony structure is also found in many of their relatives).
Like many other small, colourful Fish,
the X-Ray Tetra is a schooling species of Fish inhabiting the region
between the bottom and middle of the water as a group. They are
incredibly peaceful and are often tolerant of the other species that
they share their habitats with. The X-Ray Tetra is one of the most
adaptable species of Tetra as it is able to inhabit both fresh and
brackish water happily, in both acidic and alkaline conditions. It is
widely observed that those X-Ray Tetra that are kept in tanks,
can change quickly from being peaceful to becoming skittish in the
presence of larger, predatory Fish, with the same behaviour known to be
displayed if the school size is not big enough.
During the rainy season. the
X-Ray Tetra return to the flood-lands to spawn. 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 (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. Once able to swim, the
small and dull white young, are able to find better food sources and
soon develop their characteristic adult markings. X-Ray Tetra usually
live for three or four years in the wild but can get to older ages in
captivity. Source
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