Hyphessobrycon eschwartzae
Hyphessobrycon eschwartzae was officially described in 2013 by García-Alzate, Román-Valencia & Ortega.
The species name eschwartzae is in honor of the artist Eugenia Schwartz, who partly funded the research into this species. The genus name Hyphessobrycon can be broken down into two ancient Greek words. Hyphesson means “a little smaller” and “bryko” means biter. Together they form the genus name “Small Biter”.
This species was previously known under the unofficial name Hyphessobrycon cf. agulha.
Hyphessobrycon eschwartzae belongs to the Heterorhabdus group, these Hyphessobrycon species only have a dark longitudinal stripe on the flank. The stripe pattern of Hyphessobrycon eschwartzae resembles that of Hyphessobrycon heteroorhabdus and Hyphessobrycon amapaensis.
Description
Hyphessobrycon eschwartzae can reach a total length of about three to four centimeters. The color of the body is yellowish green. Three horizontal colored stripes run across the side. The top one is orange. The bottom stripe is black and becomes somewhat vague towards the bottom. In between is a stripe of white / cream color. It is also striking that the upper part of the eye is red.
The color of this species looks a bit like a cross between the Hyphessobrycon herbertaxelrodi and Hemigrammus erythrozonus.
The difference between the male and female can be seen in the physique. Males are a bit slimmer, females are usually a bit fuller. The males also have a kind of hook on the anal fin, which is missing in the females.
Character
Like many tetras, Hyphessobrycon eschwartzae is a peaceful schooling fish. They feel most at ease in a somewhat larger school. They are active fish that are mainly concerned with their peers. Other fish species are generally ignored.
Biotope
Hyphessobrycon eschwartzae originates from Peru, South America. They live in the upper reaches of the Madre de Dios River.
Diet
The diet of Hyphessobrycon eschwartzae is not very difficult. It is omnivorous and eats whatever it encounters. You can therefore feed them with a variety of meaty and vegetable food. They eat flakes, small granules, spirulina, live and frozen food. Always provide a variety so that they get some of all types of food to keep them healthy.
The Aquarium
You can mainly find Hyphessobrycon eschwartzae in the middle water layers. Keep this species in a group of at least 10 pieces. Set up the aquarium with some plants so that they can hide in between. Use an aquarium of at least 60 centimeters for this, but preferably a bit larger.
In the wild they occur in water that is soft and slightly acidic. The pH there is between 5.0 and 6.5. It is therefore best to filter the water over some peat. This colors the water a bit darker and acidifies the water a bit. In the aquarium they can also withstand slightly higher pH values.
Keep the temperature between 22 and 25 degrees Celsius. At a temperature above 28 degrees you can expect some of them to die, so keep a close eye on them in the summer.
Combine Hyphessobrycon eschwartzae with some calm species from other water layers.
Breeding Hyphessobrycon eschwartzae
It is possible to breed Hyphessobrycon eschwartzae in captivity. They are egg scatterers. Furnish the aquarium with some fine-leaved plants such as Java moss. Make sure the water is slightly acidic with a pH of 5.5 to 6.5. After the eggs have been deposited, you must remove the parents, otherwise they will eat the eggs. A special breeding aquarium is therefore recommended.
The eggs hatch after about 24 to 30 hours. The young fish are very small. You can feed them with infusoria or, for example, Liquifry. When they are a bit bigger you can also add vinegar eels and microworms. Even bigger, they also like newly hatched brine shrimp.
Author
John de Lange
Copyright images
References
Hyphessobrycon taphorni en H. eschwartzae (Teleostei: Characidae) twee nieuwe vissoorten uit het stroomgebied van de Madre de Dios, Peru
Fishbase.se
Fishipedia.fr
Seriouslyfish.com
Aqualog.de
