True big-scale tetra (Brycinus macrolepidotus)

Scientific name: Brycinus macrolepidotus Valenciennes, 1850

True big-scale tetra (Brycinus macrolepidotus)

The True big-scale tetra (Brycinus macrolepidotus) is a freshwater fish of the family Alestidae. In the aquarium it needs water at 22–28°C (72–82°F).

True big-scale tetra care at a glance

Temperature
22–28°C (72–82°F)

Biology

More common in rivers than lakes. Feeds on insects, crustaceans, fish, vegetation and debris.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name
Brycinus macrolepidotus
Family
Alestidae (African tetras)
Order
Characiformes (Characins)
Class
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length
53.0
Environment
Freshwater; brackish; pelagic; potamodromous
Climate
Tropical
Distribution
Africa: Inter-tropical but absent in the Gambia basin. Senegal, Niger, Chad, Volta and basins from Sierra Leone to Cameroon; Sudan border, upper Nile, Albert Nile and Murchison Nile, Lake Albert, Victoria, Omo and Lake Turkana, Congo basin.
Conservation status (IUCN)
Least Concern (LC)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Uses
Fisheries: commercial
Resilience
Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (Preliminary K or Fecundity.)

Sources

Taxonomy, distribution and biology data: FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds.), licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

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