Serpae tetra

Identity and search names

Single-species profile for Megalamphodus eques. Preserve the permanent AquaNexus ID and route; retain former scientific combinations and trade names only as searchable aliases. Search names include Serpae tetra, Megalamphodus eques, Jewel tetra, Callistus tetra, Hyphessobrycon eques, Hyphessobrycon callistus, Hyphessobrycon serpae, serpae tetra, red minor tetra.

Environment and housing

Dense planting or hardscape around open swimming room

Feeding and nutrition

Feeding ecology: Omnivore; varied small dry foods with frozen or live supplements

Feeding routine: Small appropriate meals based on age and body condition

Breeding and reproduction

Egg scatterer; adults provide no care and may consume eggs

Breeding plan: Egg scatterer; adults provide no care and may consume eggs Parental care: No parental care.

Compatibility plan

Robust short-finned community fish; avoid bettas, fancy guppies, angelfish and other slow long-finned species

Filtration and aeration

Filtration: Use mature biological filtration sized for the adult group and feeding load, with protected intakes and a flow pattern suited to the species.

Aeration: Maintain dependable gas exchange and dissolved oxygen with surface agitation or supplementary aeration while preserving sheltered resting areas.

Maintenance

Test water routinely, remove waste and uneaten food, service filtration without destroying biofilm and review stocking as animals mature.

Adult projected load

Adult projected load includes mature body mass, social-group size, territorial space, oxygen demand, feeding waste and breeding output.

Welfare and risk

Maintain the stated adult space and social structure, verify feeding and intervene early when injury, exclusion, weight loss, abnormal respiration or altered behaviour appears. This species can repeatedly nip slow or long-finned fish even in a group. Group size reduces but does not erase the risk.

Main risk: This species can repeatedly nip slow or long-finned fish even in a group. Group size reduces but does not erase the risk.

Biosecurity and release

Never release fish, fry, eggs, aquarium water, sediment, plants or live foods into drains, dams or natural waterways. Confirm current Australian import conditions and South Australian possession, trade and movement rules before acquisition or transfer.

Overridable warnings

Warnings may be overridden only after adult size, group structure, filtration, aeration, compatibility and maintenance capacity are recorded.

Sources

• Eschmeyer’s Catalog of Fishes — Megalamphodus eques — Taxonomy — accepted name, original combination, synonyms and distribution cross-check
• IUCN Red List search — Megalamphodus eques — Conservation — current assessment and wild-provenance cross-check
• PIRSA — South Australian noxious fish list — Australian biosecurity — current South Australian possession and trade restriction cross-check
• DAFF — importing live ornamental fish to Australia — Australian biosecurity — current national live-fish import pathway and permitted-species warning
• Catalog of Fishes — Megalamphodus eques and serpae synonymy — Current nomenclature and former Hyphessobrycon serpae treatment
• Catalog of Fishes — current nomenclature — Current fish taxonomy and synonymy
• AquaNexus editorial policy — Independent synthesis, scope and source-policy control