Dawn tetra

Dawn tetra
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Characiformes
Family:	Characidae
Genus:	Aphyocharax
Species:	A. nattereri
Binomial name
Aphyocharax nattereri (Steindachner, 1882)
Synonyms[2]
Chirodon nattereri Steindachner, 1882 Prionobrama nattereri (Steindachner 1882) Chirodon pulcher Steindachner, 1882 Cheirodon steindachneri C. H. Eigenmann & R. S. Eigenmann, 1891 Aphyocharax paraguayensis C. H. Eigenmann, 1915

The dawn tetra, panda tetra, or [Rio] Paraguay tetra (Aphyocharax nattereri) comes from the Rio Paraguay basin in Paraguay and Brazil.

It is a schooling fish. Suitable temperatures for the Paraguay tetra are 24 to 27 °C (75 to 81 °F). This species is omnivorous with a strong preference for animal food. It will eat normal aquarium fish food, but much prefers live food. The dawn tetra is an egg-scattering species.^[3] This tetra is very active and extremely aggressive towards fish of similar or smaller size or those that are slower moving. They are not suitable for a community tank.

Dawn tetras are a small fish species, typically reaching a size of 1.5 to 2 inches (38 to 51 mm). They are also sometimes referred to as "dwarf" tetras due to their small size.^[4][5]

References

1. Lima, F. (2023). "Aphyocharax nattereri". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2023 e.T49830415A172132762. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2023-1.RLTS.T49830415A172132762.en. Retrieved 24 June 2024.
2. Fricke, Ron; Eschmeyer, William N. & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Species in the genus Aphyocharax". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 18 September 2025.
3. *Paraguay tetra fact sheet
4. Development, Lime Web. "Dawn Tetra". Abyss Aquatics UK. Retrieved 2025-08-03.
5. "Aphyocharax nattereri • Fish sheet". Fishipedia. Retrieved 2025-08-03.