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The Livebearers
The Characins
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Characins

Characins are fish species belonging to the family Characidae in the order Characiformes. In this family you will for instance find the popular Tetras and the big Piranhas. Today, a revision is taking place and many species that used to belong to the family Characidae are moved to other families. All characins are freshwater species living in subtropical and tropical parts of the world. Their native home is the North and South American continents, but naturally occurring characins are not found north of Texas, USA. Characins typically have compressed bodies and you can see a small fin located behind the dorsal fin. They have scales and many species are very colourful. Since you can find many active and non-aggressive species that do not grow very large in this family, they are very popular among aquarists.

Profiles:
The Neon Tetra
The Cardinal Tetra
The Glowlight Tetra

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