HomeFreshwater aquarium fishTetras & characinsHead-and-taillight tetra Head-and-taillight tetra (Hemigrammus ocellifer) Scientific name: Hemigrammus ocellifer Steindachner, 1882 The Head-and-taillight tetra (Hemigrammus ocellifer) is a freshwater fish of the family Characidae that grows to about 5 cm (2 in). It is easy to keep and peaceful, suits community aquariums and needs a tank of at least 75 L (20 US gal), water at 22–26°C (72–79°F) and a pH of 6.0–8.0. Native range: South America, rivers in the Amazon region and Guyana. Head-and-taillight tetra care at a glanceCare levelEasyTemperamentPeacefulCommunity tankExcellentAdult size5 cm (2 in)Minimum tank75 L (20 US gal)Temperature22–26°C (72–79°F)pH6.0–8.0Hardness5–19 dGH (89–339 ppm)DietOmnivore. Accepts flakes, frozen foods and live foods. BiologyOccurs along the coastal zone and prefers water bodies with little current. Lives in groups. Feeds on worms, small insects, crustaceans and plants. The males are generally very much smaller and more svelte than the females. It is a very prolific species and its reproduction can easily be carried out in the aquarium. With an incubation temperature of 26?C, hatching of the eggs occurs within 48 to 60 hours. Maximum length questionable. Aquarium keeping: in groups of 5 or more individuals; minimum aquarium size 60 cm.Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0. Species factsScientific nameHemigrammus ocelliferFamilyCharacidae (Characins)OrderCharaciformes (Characins)ClassActinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)Maximum length4.4EnvironmentFreshwater;; pH range: 6.0 - 8.0; dH range: 5 - 19 benthopelagicClimateTropicalDistributionSouth America: Rivers of Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, and Amazon basin in Brazil and Peru.Conservation status (IUCN)Not EvaluatedThreat to humansHarmlessUsesFisheries: of no interest; aquarium: highly commercialResilienceHigh, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Preliminary K or Fecundity.) More tetras & characinsGlowlight tetraHemigrammus erythrozonusGarnet tetraHemigrammus pulcherBleeding-heart tetraHyphessobrycon erythrostigmaFlame tetraHyphessobrycon flammeusBlack neon tetraHyphessobrycon herbertaxelrodiFlag tetraHyphessobrycon heterorhabdusSee all tetras & characins Can it live with...?Head-and-taillight tetra and Black ghostHead-and-taillight tetra and Black neon tetraHead-and-taillight tetra and Black phantom tetraHead-and-taillight tetra and Black sharkminnowHead-and-taillight tetra and Blackbarred limiaHead-and-taillight tetra and Bleeding-heart tetraHead-and-taillight tetra and Bloodfin tetraHead-and-taillight tetra and Bluespotted corydorasHead-and-taillight tetra and Brilliant rasboraHead-and-taillight tetra and Butterfly splitfinHead-and-taillight tetra and Chinese suckerHead-and-taillight tetra and Clown barbHead-and-taillight tetra and Clown loachHead-and-taillight tetra and Clown rasboraHead-and-taillight tetra and Crescent bettaHead-and-taillight tetra and Dwarf botiaHead-and-taillight tetra and Dwarf rainbowfishHead-and-taillight tetra and Eel LoachHead-and-taillight tetra and Flag tetraHead-and-taillight tetra and Flame tetraHead-and-taillight tetra and Forktail rainbowfishHead-and-taillight tetra and Gangetic leaffishHead-and-taillight tetra and Garnet tetraHead-and-taillight tetra and Glass catfishHead-and-taillight tetra and Glowlight tetraHead-and-taillight tetra and Goldeneye cichlidHead-and-taillight tetra and Horseface loachHead-and-taillight tetra and Indian glassy fishHead-and-taillight tetra and Lake Kutubu rainbowfishHead-and-taillight tetra and Lemon tetra SourcesTaxonomy, distribution and biology data: FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds.), licensed CC BY-NC 4.0. Aquarium care parameters compiled, checked and converted to metric and imperial units by Guppies.za.net.Last updated 28 September 2026