Genus · Tetras

Xenurobrycon

Xenurobrycon is a genus with 6 species in this atlas, catalogued in the Tetras section, recorded from Brazil, Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador. Adult sizes run from 0.5 in to 1 in. Every species below links to a full researched profile.

Species in atlas
6
Adult sizes
0.5–1 in
IUCN assessed
6 of 6
Recorded from
4 countries

About the genus

Xenurobrycon is a genus of exceptionally small characins, among the tiniest tetras in the Amazon basin - atlas species top out at only 0.5–1 in as adults, placing the genus alongside a handful of other miniaturized South American tetra lineages built around living in leaf litter and marginal vegetation rather than open water. In the atlas the genus is found across Brazil, Peru, Bolivia, and Ecuador, in the small forest streams and floodplain habitats typical of the region's dwarf characins. Xenurobrycon heterodon and Xenurobrycon polyancistrus both carry the local name mojarita, a diminutive fitting a fish barely larger than a fingernail.

A genus this small draws more interest from ichthyologists studying miniaturization in characins than from the general aquarium trade, though dedicated nano-fish keepers occasionally seek out true dwarf tetras of this kind for very small, densely planted setups. Because adult Xenurobrycon are so tiny, they are unsuited to typical community tanks and need calm tankmates and fine-particle foods sized to match their mouths. The conservation picture looks reasonably settled for the genus as assessed, with four of the six atlas species rated Least Concern and the remaining two Not Evaluated.

IUCN Red List: Least Concern · 4 Not Evaluated · 2

The 6 species

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

Moreira, 2005

0.5 in SL · LC

Weitzman & Fink, 1985

mojarita

1 in SL · LC

Myers & Miranda Ribeiro, 1945

1 in SL · NE

Weitzman, 1987

mojarita

0.5 in SL · LC

Weitzman & Fink, 1985

0.5 in SL · LC

Mendonça, Peixoto, Dutra & Netto-Ferreira, 2016

0.5 in SL · NE

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How to cite

Aquarist Atlas (2026). Genus Xenurobrycon. Aquarist Atlas. https://www.aquaristatlas.com/xenurobrycon/

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