Lipstick tetra

Bario cosmops

A red upper lip, blue-green eyes and a dark tail-base patch

Red above the mouth and blue-green irises contrast with reticulated scales and a broad dark tail-base mark.

Adult length: Up to 5.4 cm (standard length, without the tail fin)
Water temperature: 24–26 °C
pH: 6–7

Natural habitat: Lives in clear, mainly sandy streams, gathering in marginal backwaters near aquatic plants and submerged branches.

Nips fins and eats aquatic plants; do not count on it for algae control.

View comparison →

Appearance and identification

Compared with a redeye tetra, look for blue-green irises, a red upper lip and a translucent gill cover through which the pinkish-red gills may be visible. The similar uirapuru also has wavy longitudinal lines and a narrow dark stripe along the middle tail rays; cosmops lacks both.

Same-species behaviour

Keep at least five.

Space requirements

Leave group swimming room beside cover.

Diet and feeding

Offer appropriately sized flakes, pellets, frozen and live foods. Eating algae in the wild does not remove the need to feed.

Compatibility limits

Consider fin-nipping and predation by larger companions.

Aquarium environment

May eat aquatic plants. Provide cover without filling the swimming area.

Sources

www.aquariumindustries.com.au ↗ 2026-10-22

www.fishbase.se ↗ 2026-10-25

researcharchive.calacademy.org ↗ 2026-10-22