Genus · Tetras

Lepidocharax

Lepidocharax is a genus with 2 species in this atlas, catalogued in the Tetras section, recorded from Brazil. Adult sizes run from 1 in to 1.5 in. Every species below links to a full researched profile.

Species in atlas
2
Adult sizes
1–1.5 in
IUCN assessed
2 of 2 · 1 threatened
Recorded from
Brazil

About the genus

Lepidocharax is a small tetra genus (family Characidae) known only from Brazil, where its two described species live in headwater streams in the state of Bahia — the diamantina epithet of L. diamantina points to the Chapada Diamantina highlands, a stream system rich in narrow-range endemics. Atlas species are small, in the 1–1.5 in range typical of many headwater characids, and specifics of their coloration and fin shape are not well documented outside the primary taxonomic literature.

This is a genus of scientific rather than hobby interest — neither species has an established presence in the aquarium trade, and detailed care information is essentially unavailable. The conservation picture is a concern: L. diamantina is assessed Endangered, consistent with a broader pattern among Chapada Diamantina headwater fish, where small stream ranges face pressure from water extraction, tourism development, and habitat degradation; L. burnsi has not been evaluated. Data on breeding biology and habitat requirements in the wild are sparse.

IUCN Red List: Endangered · 1 Not Evaluated · 1

The 2 species

Every Lepidocharax recorded in this atlas. Each card links to a full researched profile — distribution, water parameters, and aquarium care, cited to primary sources.

Ferreira, Menezes & Quagio-Grassiotto, 2011

1 in TL · NE

Ferreira, Menezes & Quagio-Grassiotto, 2011

1.5 in SL · EN

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How to cite

Aquarist Atlas (2026). Genus Lepidocharax. Aquarist Atlas. https://www.aquaristatlas.com/lepidocharax/

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