The odd subfamily of African tetra called Ichthyborinae is restricted to Africa. Many species are specialized fin eaters that feed almost exclusively on fins of other fish. Their teeth work like a scissor and are able to cut out pieces of fin from other fish without any problems.
Almost all of these tetras – there are 6 genera with a total of about 20 species – have a very significant fin pattern. It is proclaimed that this pattern is a signal to conspecifics and hinders them to bite in the fin.
Interestingly not all Ichthyborinae are fin eaters at all. One of these “false” fin eaters is Ichtyborus ornatus that can reach a maximum size of 15-20 cm. The teeth of this species are backwards orientated fangs and identify the owner as a predator that feeds on complete small fish. The photo illustrating this teeth structure was made on a preserved skull, in live this is not so easy to see. Although no fin eater, this species has the characteristic pattern in the caudal fin.
There is no report on external sexual dimorphism in Ichthyborinae so far. However, in our import of Ichthyborus ornatus are specimens with much more reddish fin coloration than others.
For our customers: the fish has code 141944 on our stocklist. Please note that we exclusively supply the wholesale trade.
Lexicon: Ichthyborus: from ancient Greek, means “fisheater”. ornatus: Latin, means “decorated”.
Text & Photos: Frank Schäfer
| Angaben zum Tier | |
|---|---|
| Herkunft | D.R. Congo |
| Verfügbare Größe in cm | 10-12 |
