Genus · Tetras

Rhoadsia

Rhoadsia is a genus with 2 species in this atlas, catalogued in the Tetras section, recorded from Ecuador and Peru. Adult sizes run from 4 in to 6.5 in. Every species below links to a full researched profile.

Species in atlas
2
Adult sizes
4–6.5 in
IUCN assessed
2 of 2
Recorded from
2 countries

About the genus

Rhoadsia is a genus of characins from the Pacific-draining rivers of Ecuador and Peru, distinct from the Amazon-basin tetra genera that dominate the family. Its two species, R. altipinna and R. minor, run larger than the typical aquarium tetra, reaching roughly 4–6.5 in, and share a deeper-bodied, more robust build than the small schooling characins most aquarists picture -- one better suited to life in the swifter, rockier streams of the Andes' western slope than to still water.

Common names reflect that build: R. altipinna is known as the Highfin Rhoadsia, for its elevated dorsal profile, and R. minor as the Rainbow Characin. Neither is a regular presence in the aquarium trade outside specialist collections, and detailed care information is not well documented. Conservation-wise, both species are assessed as Least Concern, consistent with a genus that, while regionally restricted to Pacific-slope Ecuador and Peru, does not appear to face documented range-wide decline.

IUCN Red List: Least Concern · 2

The 2 species

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

Fowler, 1911

Highfin Rhoadsia, Highfin Tetra

6.5 in SL · LC

Eigenmann & Henn, 1914

Rainbow Characin, Chocó Rainbow Characin

4 in TL · LC

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How to cite

Aquarist Atlas (2026). Genus Rhoadsia. Aquarist Atlas. https://www.aquaristatlas.com/rhoadsia/

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