Tetra types: compare stripes, colour and outline

Neon tetra — AI-generated side-view illustration

Neon tetraUp to 3 cm · 21–25 °CBlue stripe with red on the rear half

Cardinal tetra — AI-generated side-view illustration

Cardinal tetraUp to 3.5 cm · 23–29 °CBlue above an extended red flank

Ember tetra — AI-generated side-view illustration

Ember tetraUp to 2 cm · 20–28 °CA tiny tetra with orange across its body

Firehead tetra — AI-generated side-view illustration

Firehead tetraUp to 3.6 cm · 23–26 °CRed head, silver body and black-and-white tail

Black skirt tetra — AI-generated side-view illustration

Black skirt tetraUp to 6 cm · 20–26 °CTwo dark vertical bars and a broad skirt-like anal fin

Emperor tetra — AI-generated side-view illustration

Emperor tetraUp to 4.2 cm · 23–27 °CBlue-eyed males with a dark stripe and an extended central tail ray

Yellow-tailed Congo tetra — AI-generated side-view illustration

Yellow-tailed Congo tetraUp to 6.2 cm · 22–26 °CYellow tail lobes surround a dark central extension

Bloodfin tetra — AI-generated side-view illustration

Bloodfin tetraUp to 5.5 cm · 18–28 °CA silver-blue body with red pelvic, anal and tail fins

Green fire tetra — AI-generated side-view illustration

Green fire tetraUp to 7.1 cm · 20–26 °CA green-silver body with red along the rear underside

Mexican tetra cave morph — AI illustration with no external eyes

Mexican tetra — cave morphAbout 7.5 cm · 20–25 °CAn eyeless, pale cave phenotype of unknown locality

Ruby tetra — AI-generated side-view illustration

Ruby tetraUp to 2 cm · 20–28 °CA tiny red tetra with a dark tail-base patch

Lipstick tetra — AI-generated side-view illustration

Lipstick tetraUp to 5.4 cm · 24–26 °CA red upper lip, blue-green eyes and a dark tail-base patch

Glass tetra — AI-generated side-view illustration

Glass tetraUp to 10 cm · 22–26 °CRed upper eyes, a netted silver body and a dark tail band

Red-eye tetra — AI-generated side-view illustration

Red-eye tetraUp to 7 cm · 22–26 °CA red upper iris and a broad black band at the tail base

African longfin tetra — AI-generated side-view illustration

African longfin tetraUp to 16.4 cm · 22–26 °CA short dark rear band and a flowing male dorsal fin

Spotted headstander — AI horizontal side-view illustration

Spotted headstanderUp to 18 cm · 20–28 °CScale-centred spots and head-down swimming; the stripe can fade

Sailfin tetra — AI-generated illustration of a displaying mature male

Sailfin tetraUp to 7 cm · 20–28 °CMales spread red-and-yellow sails with a patterned anal fin

Silvertip tetra — AI-generated side-view illustration

Silvertip tetraUp to 5 cm · 23–28 °CCopper-gold body, white fin tips and a dark tail marking

Glowlight tetra — AI-generated side-view illustration

Glowlight tetraUp to 4 cm · 24–28 °COne orange-red line on a translucent silver body

Phoenix tetra — AI-generated side-view illustration

Phoenix tetraUp to 4 cm · 22–28 °CMales combine red tail bases with white-tipped fin filaments

January tetra — AI-generated side-view illustration

January tetraUp to 4 cm · 23–27 °CA fine gold-green line meets the bright mark above a dark tail spot

Golden tetra — AI-generated side-view illustration

Golden tetraUp to 5.3 cm · 24–28 °CA dark lateral marking joins the tail spot beneath a silvery-brassy sheen

Head-and-taillight tetra — AI-generated side-view illustration

Head-and-taillight tetraUp to 4.5 cm · 24–28 °CReflective marks near the head and tail, with a dark tail-base spot

Pretty tetra — AI-generated side-view illustration

Pretty tetraUp to 3.3 cm · 23–27 °CA dark wedge below a short golden tail-base mark

Amapá tetra — AI-generated side-view illustration

Amapá tetraUp to 3 cm · 23–28 °CRed and pale stripes above a dark lateral band

Male Hyphessobrycon cachimbensis — AI illustration

Hyphessobrycon cachimbensisUp to 5.7 cmA stripe from behind the eye to the tail; a rounded male anal profile

Colombian tetra — AI-generated side-view illustration

Colombian tetraUp to 6.5 cm · 20–28 °CA deep silver-blue body with red tail and anal fins

Adult male emerald green tetra with pale adipose fin — AI illustration

Emerald green tetraUp to 3.9 cmGreen-gold sheen, orange fins and a broad dark shoulder mark

Adult male lapis tetra — AI side-view illustration

Lapis tetraUp to 3.7 cmBlue beside a dark stripe, with clear fins and dark leading edges

Adult Hyphessobrycon eilyos — AI illustration

Hyphessobrycon eilyos22–27 °CDark grey-blue with red fins; no separate shoulder or tail-base spot

Reed tetra — AI-generated side-view illustration

Reed tetraUp to 2 cm · 24–27 °CSilver body, a dark tail-base mark and elongated male fin rays

Flame tetra — AI-generated side-view illustration

Flame tetraUp to 2.6 cm · 20–26 °CTwo shoulder bars and red concentrated towards the rear

Kitty tetra — AI-generated side-view illustration

Kitty tetraUp to 2.8 cm · 24–28 °CA golden body, dark tail-base spot and elongated male fins

Black neon tetra — AI-generated side-view illustration

Black neon tetraUp to 3.5 cm · 20–28 °CA pale line above a broad black stripe

Adult male bleeding blue tetra — AI side-view illustration

Bleeding blue tetraUp to 4 cmA broad blue band behind the head and red fins

Adult male black stripe tetra outside courtship — AI illustration

Black stripe tetraUp to 3.7 cm · 23–28 °CBlue above a black stripe, with a shoulder mark extending below it

Red Devil tetra — AI-generated side-view illustration

Red Devil tetraUp to 2.9 cm · 22–27 °CBlue eyes, reddish colour and an elongated male dorsal fin

Mature male Hyphessobrycon peugeoti — AI illustration

Hyphessobrycon peugeotiUp to 3.2 cmCarmine colour and a long dorsal filament in mature males

Raccoon tetra — AI-generated side-view illustration

Raccoon tetraUp to 3.2 cm · 23–27 °CTwo shoulder marks, a tail spot and an elongated male dorsal fin

Lemon tetra — AI-generated side-view illustration

Lemon tetraUp to 4 cm · 20–28 °CYellow-and-black fins on a pale yellow body

Male flame-back bleeding heart tetra — AI illustration

Flame-back bleeding heart tetraUp to 4.5 cm · 20–28 °CA red wedge along the upper body plus a small shoulder spot

Yellow phantom tetra — AI-generated side-view illustration

Yellow phantom tetraUp to 1.9 cm · 20–28 °CA golden-to-rose body with an oval shoulder blotch and reddish tail

Blueberry tetra — AI-generated side-view illustration

Blueberry tetraUp to 3.5 cm · 22–28 °CBlue-violet flanks, orange-red fins and a dark shoulder mark

Royal tetra — AI-generated side-view illustration

Royal tetraUp to 3.5 cm · 24–27 °CBlue-violet sheen above a dark stripe, with a small adipose fin

Purplestriped King Tetra — AI-generated side-view illustration

Purplestriped King TetraUp to 4 cm · 22–27 °CFine reddish rows among blue iridescent scales

Blue Peru tetra — AI-generated side-view illustration

Blue Peru tetraUp to 5 cm · 22–26 °CBlue iridescence and a short dark mark in the central tail

Diamond tetra — AI-generated side-view illustration

Diamond tetraUp to 6 cm · 24–28 °CReflective scales and pale violet fins in mature males

Ornate tetra — AI-generated side-view illustration

Ornate tetraUp to 4.3 cm · 20–28 °CA dark high dorsal fin above a pale pink-silver body

Serpae tetra — AI-generated side-view illustration

Serpae tetraUp to 4 cm · 20–28 °CRed-copper body, one dark shoulder patch and black fin markings

Bleeding heart tetra — AI-generated side-view illustration

Bleeding heart tetraUp to 6 cm · 21–28 °CA red shoulder mark and extended fins in mature males

Black phantom tetra — AI-generated side-view illustration

Black phantom tetraUp to 3.6 cm · 20–28 °CA dark shoulder patch and tall black dorsal fin in males

Rosy tetra — AI-generated side-view illustration

Rosy tetraUp to 4 cm · 24–28 °CPink-silver body with a dark dorsal-fin patch

Red phantom tetra — AI-generated side-view illustration

Red phantom tetraUp to 3.5 cm · 20–28 °CA dark shoulder patch on a reddish body, with extended male fins

Costae tetra — AI-generated side-view illustration

Costae tetraUp to 7 cm · 23–27 °CA dark diagonal stripe leads into the upper tail lobe

Bandtail tetra with two caudal-lobe patches — AI illustration

Bandtail tetraUp to 10 cm · 21–28 °CA silver body and a dark patch on each forked tail lobe

Heiko’s tetra — AI-generated side-view illustration

Heiko’s tetraUp to 8.7 cmA broad dark stripe through a large eye, edged by a fine bright line

Golden pencilfish — AI-generated side-view illustration

Golden pencilfishUp to 6.5 cm · 21–27 °CA slender pencil shape with one prominent dark lateral stripe

Hockeystick pencilfish — AI-generated side-view illustration

Hockeystick pencilfishUp to 5 cm · 22–28 °CA pointed snout, brown spotted rows and a head-up swimming posture

Nannostomus erythrurus — AI side-view illustration

Nannostomus erythrurusUp to 2.9 cmA three-banded trade lookalike without a continuous red line

Dwarf pencilfish — AI-generated side-view illustration

Dwarf pencilfishUp to 3.5 cm · 22–28 °CThree dark stripes on a compact pencil-shaped body

Male coral red pencilfish — AI side-view illustration

Coral red pencilfishUp to 2.9 cm · 24–28 °CCoral-red colour between dark bands changes with social rank

Male purple pencilfish — AI side-view illustration

Purple pencilfishUp to 2.6 cm · 24–28 °CRed-purple interstripes and a red anterior dorsal fin

Three-lined pencilfish — AI side-view illustration

Three-lined pencilfishUp to 3.6 cm · 24–28 °CThree dark bands with a fine red line above the main stripe

One-lined pencilfish — AI-generated side-view illustration

One-lined pencilfishUp to 3.8 cm · 23–28 °COne dark stripe along a silver body that often swims head-up

Rainbow emperor tetra — AI-generated side-view illustration

Rainbow emperor tetraUp to 3.6 cm · 20–28 °CRed eyes and irregular blue-green reflections above a dark band

Green neon tetra — AI-generated side-view illustration

Green neon tetraUp to 2.5 cm · 24–27 °CA long blue-green stripe and little red

Petitella georgiae — AI side-view illustration

False rummy-nose tetraUp to 3.9 cm · 22–26 °CA clear rear-body stripe without a separate lower peduncle spot

True rummy-nose tetra — AI side-view illustration

True rummy-nose tetraUp to 5 cm · 24–27 °CRed stops before the shoulder; both peduncle borders carry black spots

Congo tetra — AI-generated side-view illustration

Congo tetraUp to 8 cm · 23–28 °CIridescent scales and extended fins in mature males

Black darter tetra — AI-generated side-view illustration

Black darter tetraUp to 5 cm · 21–28 °CBlue scale spots along a dark band, with enlarged fins in males

Glass bloodfin tetra — AI-generated side-view illustration

Glass bloodfin tetraUp to 6 cm · 23–27 °CA translucent slender body with red at the tail

X-ray tetra — AI-generated side-view illustration

X-ray tetraUp to 4.5 cm · 22–28 °CTranslucent silver body with yellow, black and white fin markings

Buenos Aires tetra — AI-generated side-view illustration

Buenos Aires tetraUp to 13.2 cm · 16–28 °CSilver body, red fins and a dark diamond at the tail base

Blackline penguinfish — AI-generated side-view illustration

Blackline penguinfishUp to 3.6 cm · 22–28 °CA black side stripe turns down into the lower tail lobe

Tucano tetra — AI-generated side-view illustration

Tucano tetraUp to 1.7 cm · 20–28 °CA tiny translucent golden fish with a broad dark lateral band

Tetra types: compare stripes, colour and outline

What this gallery includes

This is a browsing group, not a single biological family. Alongside small tetras, it includes pencilfish and hatchetfish. Trade names can cross these boundaries: harlequin rasboras belong in the rasbora and danio gallery. Start with the outline, then inspect markings and fin positions. The illustrations help you find candidates; they do not identify an individual fish with certainty.

Neon or cardinal? Look at the red area

Neon tetras (Paracheirodon innesi) typically show most of their red towards the rear of the body. Cardinals (P. axelrodi) have red extending farther forwards. Compare the location and extent of that colour rather than which photograph appears brighter or bluer. Lighting, condition and domestic forms can change the impression. Open both profiles when the match is uncertain.

A colour form is not an extra species

Long fins and albino forms can occur within one species. Use a trade name as a search clue, then check the scientific identity and form notes. When several candidates remain, compare the end of the stripe, body depth and fin shape. Do not turn different colours into additional species entries.

Compare care after appearance

Similar stripes do not establish identical care requirements: the referenced neon and cardinal profiles give different temperature ranges. Also compare adult size, social needs and the proposed tankmates. Select two or three candidates for comparison and read the basis of each measurement. The virtual aquarium helps with composition; it does not establish compatibility or stocking capacity.

Sources

Tetras and small characins

Tetra types: compare stripes, colour and outline

What this gallery includes

Neon or cardinal? Look at the red area

A colour form is not an extra species

Compare care after appearance