Paracheirodon

The genus Paracheirodon is part of the Characidae family or characins. The genus includes only 3 species.

The name Paracheirodon is derived from 3 Greek words: Para means “except”, xeir means “hand” and odon means “teeth”. Loosely translated it means something like “without hand and teeth”. The Paracheirodon are one of the few genera within the characin family that have no teeth and within this family also have very small and transparent fins.

All three species have a clear fluorescent blue stripe down the flank, the red on the flank showing some variation in location and brightness depending on the species.

Paracheirodon axelrodi and simulans are both found in the upper reaches of the Rio Orinoco and Rio Negro. Paracheirodon innesi can be found in southeastern Colombia, eastern Peru and western Brazil, including the Rio Solimões basin.