📸 PhotoPhoto: Mattia Nocciola · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons Source
Neon tetra
Paracheirodon innesi (Neon tetra · ネオンテトラ)
💡 Everyday Comparisons for Size, Mass & Speed
- 💡 Its maximum standard length of 2.5 cm is slightly smaller than the diameter of a Korean 500-won coin (about 26.5 mm) (Comparison).
- 💡 It is the most popular aquarium fish, recommended to be kept in groups of 5 or more in a tank at least 60 cm long (FishBase).
- 💡 Commercial trade is active in both the aquarium trade and fisheries (FishBase).
Reference standards: coach bus ~12 m, mid-size car ~4.9 m, compact car ~1 t, basketball hoop 3.05 m, credit card 8.56 cm.
📖 1. Overview
The neon tetra is a tiny fish living in Amazonian streams of South America and is considered the most popular aquarium fish.
🦴 2. Anatomy & Morphology
Even when full-grown, it is a small fish measuring only 2.5 cm in standard length. It is a tropical fish living in acidic, soft water (pH 5–7, dH 1–2).
🔍 3. Ecology & Behavior
Adults feed on worms, small insects, crustaceans, and plant matter. In aquariums, the female lays a relatively small number of eggs that hatch in about 24 hours.
🇰🇷 4. Connection to Korea
No direct record connecting this species to Korea has been found.
📚 Sources & References
- • IUCN Red List LC (2023) — https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/49829801/160186246
- • IUCN Red List category LC — latest assessment at iucnredlist.org
- • catalogueoflife.org — 4CPDY
- • iucnredlist.org — 160186246
- • wikidata.org — Q131431
- • commons.wikimedia.org — File:Paracheirodon innesi Natural History Museum University
- • fishbase.se — Paracheirodon-innesi.html
- • Silhouette: PhyloPic — C. Camilo Julián-Caballero · CC BY 3.0 (Congeneric silhouette — Paracheirodon axelrodi)
Recorded dimensions are widely cited representative estimates from public literature and may vary by study or specimen.