Royal tetra
Male
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Characiformes
Family: Characidae
Subfamily: Aphyocharacinae
Genus: Inpaichthys
Géry & Junk, 1977
Species:
I. kerri
Binomial name
Inpaichthys kerri
Géry & Junk, 1977[2]

The royal tetra (Inpaichthys kerri) is a species of characin endemic to Brazil, where it is found in tributaries of the Aripuanã River. It is the sole member of its genus.[2]

The fish was named in honor of Warwick Estevam Kerr (1922-2018), a Brazilian agricultural engineer, geneticist, entomologist, and director of INPA the acronym for Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, whose field station in Núcleo Aripuanã, Mato Grosso, Brazil, is near the area where the type was found.[3]

Ecology

Inpaichthys kerri was discovered in sunny and moving waters of the forested Queimada river system, a tributary of the Aripuanã River. In its natural habitat it lives in very soft and slightly acidic waters with a pH between 6.0 and 6.8.[2] I. kerri is a very active and bold species and has been found schooling with another undescribed species (similar to Hyphessobrycon cachimbensis), and is generally less abundant than the latter, in the ratio 1/200 or less, although it can be quite abundant in some spots.[2] It feeds mainly on insects that fell on the water surface.[2]

In captivity

It is kept as an aquarium fish where it is sold under the additional common names blue emperor tetra, purple emperor tetra, black emperor tetra, or regal tetra[4] (not to be confused with Nematobrycon palmeri with similar appearance and common names). I. kerri requires similar-sized schooling fish that are not overly aggressive, as this species is prone to diseases when stressed in captivity.[5]

References

  1. ↑ Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade (ICMBio) (2022). "Inpaichthys kerri". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2022: e.T136898065A136898069. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-2.RLTS.T136898065A136898069.en. Retrieved 4 August 2022.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Géry & Junk (1977). "Inpaichthys kerri n. g. n. sp., um novo peixe caracídeo do alto rio Aripuanã, Mato Grosso, Brasil". Acta Amazônica. 7 (3): 417–422. doi:10.1590/1809-43921977073417. Retrieved 15 January 2023.
  3. ↑ Christopher Scharpf & Kenneth J. Lazara (22 September 2018). "Order CHARACIFORMES: Family CHARACIDAE: Subfamily STETHAPRIONINAE (h-t)". The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database. Christopher Scharpf and Kenneth J. Lazara. Retrieved 29 September 2021.
  4. ↑ "Purple Emperor Tetra". Aquarium FishSale. Retrieved 15 January 2023.
  5. ↑ "Blue emperor tetra". Tropical Fish Café. Retrieved 15 January 2023.
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