The internationally since always Green Neon, in German also occasionally Blue Neon (to avoid confusion with Hemigrammus hyanuary, which is also called Green Neon) called Neon tetra Paracheirodon simulans we have more or less always in our assortment, see https://www.aquariumglaser.de/en/09-characoids-tetra-relationship/paracheirodon-simulans-2/
Now we have received from our supplier in Colombia comparatively extremely large specimens, as we get to see them only extremely rarely. On the photos you can see a “normal sized” P. simulans of the commercial size md-lg and these lg-xlg animals. In a review paper on miniature fishes of South America by the American ichthyologists Weitzman and Vari, a body length (excluding caudal fin) of 17 mm at sexual maturity and a maximum length of 19.6 mm is given for Paracheirodon simulans. This size is clearly exceeded by our “Jumbos”. Of course, we do not kill fish for such measurements; however, the top-view photo with ruler of one of the xlg animals allows a very accurate estimation, according to which the animal is at least 24 mm long – record!
It should be remembered that these are natural specimens and not methusalems that have grown old in the aquarium.
For our customers: the animals md-lg have code 275704, lg-xl code 275706 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply to wholesalers.
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
Literature:
Weitzman, S. H., & Vari, R. P. (1988): Miniaturization in South American freshwater fishes; an overview and discussion. Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington 101 (2): 444-465
