Coral red pencilfish

The coral red pencilfish is a tiny, intensely colored characin of the family Lebiasinidae, native to the Nanay River drainage in the Peruvian Amazon. Dominant males glow deep red over most of the body, with black lateral markings and touches of black and white on the fins. It is a small, active but somewhat feisty fish; males spar to establish hierarchy but cause little real harm in a group. It is best kept in a shoal of at least six or more, which spreads out aggression and encourages color. A densely planted blackwater-style tank with soft, acidic water, dark substrate, and gentle flow shows off its colors and helps it feel secure. It is a micropredator that takes small live and frozen foods and finely crushed dry foods. It scatters eggs among fine plants and offers no parental care.