Paraguay - List of fishes

It must be kept in a good sized aquarium with efficient filtration, as it is used to chewing it food and scattering it. It is sometimes aggressive toward other species. It breeds easily in captivity. There are several varieties.

Small barbs located around its mouth enable it to search for food in the sand or mud. It goes regularly at the surface to breathe oxygen from the air. It acclimate easily to aquarium.

It easily accommodates to life in the aquarium even if it is sometimes aggressive towards other fish. After the eggs have been laid, it is necessary to separate the adults from the eggs. It is sometimes called "jewel" tetra because of its color and the dark spot in the middle of it body.

The female is stockier than the male. It easily accommodates to life in the aquarium. It is recommended to isolate the breeding pair. After spawning, remove the adult from the nesting site because they could eat the eggs and juveniles.

Dwark suckermouth

It is accommodated to life in freshwater. It is ovoviviparous: the eggs hatch in it body, and it gives birth to fully formed juveniles. It acclimate easily in aquariums, but beware of the stings from its tail that can inflict very painful wounds.

Like many catfish species, it hunts at night. The female is larger than the male and lays huge amounts of eggs (8 million eggs per kilo). Because of its size and its diet, you should not keep it in a private aquarium.

It is carnivorous, its sharp teeth have earned it the local name. (Pira = fish, Nha = tooth). Its dangerousness was often exaggerated: it serves as prey of many animals (alligators, giant otter ...). Piranhas are especially dangerous for humans in the dry season, when they lack food.