New 🐟 Mercury Safety Guide & Omega-3 Rankings Updated for 2026. View Omega-3 Rankings →

💧 Freshwater Least Concern 🐠 Aquarium 🌡️ Tropical

Cardinal tetra

Paracheirodon axelrodi Schultz, 1956
Max Length
3 cm
Max Weight
-
Lifespan
-
Trophic Level
3.3
Depth
-
Climate
Tropical
Resilience
High
Vulnerability
10.00/100
Typical Length
-
Depth Zone
pelagic

📖 Overview

Occurs mainly in shoals in the middle water layers. Feeds on worms and small crustaceans . Breeding in captivity is possible but difficult and most specimens in the aquarium trade are caught in the tributaries of the Rio Negro and Orinoco. Eggs hatch in 24 to 30 hours and fry are free-swimming after 3 to 4 days in captivity . One of the most popular and beautiful aquarium fishes. Aquarium keeping: in groups of 5 or more individuals; minimum aquarium size 60 cm .

Scientific Name
Paracheirodon axelrodi
Authority
Schultz, 1956
Habitat
Freshwater
Climate
Tropical
IUCN Status
LC
Max Length
3 cm
Trophic Level
3.3
Resilience
High
Vulnerability
10.00/100
Migration
Non-migratory
Water Temp
23–27 °C
Salinity
0–0.5 ppt

🐟 Physical Description

Physical description for Cardinal tetra is currently being compiled.

🌀 Behaviour

Behavioural data for Cardinal tetra is currently being reviewed.

🦐 Diet

aquatic invertebrates
small fish
algae
detritus

🥚 Reproduction

🐣 Oviparous
Spawning Season
spring
Spawn Location
Substrate
Fertilization
External

🌍 Habitat & Distribution

Freshwater; pelagic; pH range: 4.0 - 6.0; dH range: 5 - 12; non-migratory. Tropical; 23°C - 27°C South America: Upper Orinoco and Negro River basins.

🌿 Ecology

Zone Preferences
💧 Freshwater 🐟 Pelagic
Migration
Non-migratory
Trophic Level
3.3±0.39
Food Items

worms and small crustaceans (Ref

📐 Morphometrics

Length–Weight Relationship: W = 0.01122 × L3.08 (TL)
Max TL
3cm

🌡️ Water Parameters & Tolerance

Temperature Range
23–27°C
pH Range
4–6
Salinity Range
0–0.5ppt

🛡️ Conservation Assessment

IUCN Category
Least Concern
Assessment Date
2021

📊 Population Risk & Fisheries

Population Resilience
High
Minimum doubling time
Fishing Vulnerability
10.00/100
Low vulnerability
Trophic Level
3.3
Predator
Climate Zone
Tropical
Described By
Schultz, 1956

🌐 Names & Taxonomy

Language Common Names
🇬🇧English cardinal tetra · red neon · Scarlet characin
🇸🇦Arabic كاردينال تترا
🌍BRE Kardinal
🌍BUL Червен неон
🌍CES Neonka červená
🇩🇰Danish Rød neon
🇩🇪German Roter Neon
🇫🇮Finnish Kardinaalitetra
🇫🇷French Neon
🇭🇺Hungarian Vörös neonhal
🇮🇹Italian Cardinale
🇯🇵Japanese カージナルテトラ
🌍LIT Raudonasis neonas
🇳🇱Dutch Kardinaaltetra
🇵🇱Polish Neon czerwony · Neon czerwony a. neonek Axelroda
🇵🇹Portuguese Cardinal · Neon · Tetra cardinal · Tetra-cardeal
🇷🇺Russian Krasnyi neon · Кардинальская тетра · Красный неон
🇪🇸Spanish Cardenal · Pez Cardenal
🇸🇪Swedish Kardinaltetra
🌍THA ปลาคาร์ดินัล
🌍UKR Неон червоний
🇨🇳Chinese 宝莲灯鱼 · 寶蓮燈 · 阿氏霓虹脂鯉

🗺️ Global Occurrence Map

Occurrence records from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) - 5 records indexed .

Occurrence density from GBIF View GBIF records ↗

👥 Community & Contribute

Aquareap Community Observations
0 Observations logged on Aquareap

No observations yet - be the first to log one!

View all observations for Cardinal tetra ↗
Suggest an Edit

Spotted incorrect or outdated data? Submit a correction and our editorial team will review it. Approved edits go live within 48 hours.

Link to a scientific paper, FishBase, or other authoritative source
Report an Issue

Found a factual error, broken data, or inappropriate content? Let us know and we will investigate promptly.