Fun Tucanoichthys Tucano Facts For Kids

The Tucanoichthys tucano is a ray-finned tetra fish found in the continent of South America. More specifically, it is native to the upper Negro river basin range in the Amazonas state in Brazil. It is a popular and sought-after aquarium fish outside Brazil due to its beautiful appearance. The Tucanoichthys tucano size is only around 0.6-0.7 in (15-17 mm) which would make it vulnerable to predators, but due to lower predator populations in the Tucanoichthys tucano range, the species survives and thrives. The Tucanoichthys tucano species prefers fresh water which has been darkened by the tannins from the leaves and branches that fall in the water in the riverine habitat. The Tucanoichthys tucano life is also characterized by aggressive territorial behavior during the breeding season. The conservation status of the Tucanoichthys tucano has not been evaluated by the IUCN and it remains a sought-after domestic aquarium fish around the world.

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What type of animal is a Tucanoichthys tucano?

The tetra Tucanoichthys tucano is a fish.

What class of animal does a Tucanoichthys tucano belong to?

The tetra Tucanoichthys tucano belongs to the Actinopterygii (ray-finned fish) class of animals.

How many Tucanoichthys tucanos are there in the world?

It is unknown how many Tucanoichthys tucanos exist in the world.

Where does a Tucanoichthys tucano live?

The tetra Tucanoichthys tucano is endemic to the Rio Negro and Rio Uaupes rivers in the state of Amazonas in Brazil, South America. There is no Tucanoichthys tucano distribution in the wild outside this range.

What is a Tucanoichthys tucano's habitat?

The tetra Tucanoichthys tucano species is known to live in mainly blackwater and freshwater streams as well as rivers and creeks. The typical Tucanoichthys tucano habitat is water that is covered with the leaves and branches that fall into the water from the forest trees. The freshwater despite being clear is stained heavily with the tannins of organic material that is decomposing.

Who do Tucanoichthys tucanos live with?

Tetra Tucanoichthys tucanos tend to live alone. Loosely put, they are shoaling fish and not schooling ones since they get together only for mating. The male tucanos are very territorial as well.

How long does a Tucanoichthys tucano live?

A tetra Tucanoichthys tucano lives for five to seven years.

How do they reproduce?

The Tetra Tucanoichthys tucano species reproduce by mating and laying eggs. The males of the species are very territorial. They defend their breeding ground territories against other males and other species of fish as well. The breeding territory is a solid surface like the leaves and wood that fall into the water. After the eggs are spawned, they are looked after and incubated by the male for a day. The Tucanoichthys tucano fry is an iridescent bluish-green in color.

What is their conservation status?

The conservation status of the Tucanoichthys tucano is listed as Not Evaluated by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

What do Tucanoichthys tucanos look like?

The upper bodies as well as the heads of tetra Tucanoichthys tucano fishes are bright gold. The bellies are white and the lower gills have a pinkish color. The gold color sometimes may extend to the top lobe for some individual fishes, but mostly the fins are all transparent. Their most prominent feature is the dark stripe along the sides of the body. This dark stripe begins at the gill and tapers off at the caudal peduncle. Toucan tetras display prominent sexual dimorphism. The females have rounder bodies than the males, even more so when they are carrying eggs. The males also tend to be more brightly colored than the females. The anal, dorsal, and caudal fins of males also have a pinkish-red color.

*Please note that this is an image of a neon tetra fish, not a Tucanoichthys tucano. If you have an image of a Tucanoichthys tucano, please let us know at [email protected]
 

How cute are they?

Tucanoichthys tucano tetras are adorable little creatures. They have beautiful bright gold bodies with transparent fins. They also have black stripes across their bodies that look like a painter's brushstroke. The pinkish blush on their lower gills also adds to their beauty. They also display interesting behavior when kept with others of their kind in a domestic aquarium setting.

How do they communicate?

Like other fish species, Tucanoichthys tucanos may communicate via motion and gestures. Being shoaling fish, they use body language to signal the presence of a dangerous predator, via arched bodies and erect fins.

How big is a Tucanoichthys tucano?

The Tucanoichthys tucano is 0.6-0.7 in (15-17 mm) long, making it three times smaller than the neon tetra, and 10-20 times smaller than piranha fish.

How fast can a Tucanoichthys tucano swim?

The exact speed of Tucanoichthys tucano fish is unknown, but they are known to be fast swimmers. They cannot fight a strong current though, due to their small size.

How much does a Tucanoichthys tucano weigh?

Being tiny fish, Tucanoichthys tucanos are very light-weight, weighing only about 0.002 oz (0.05 g).

What are the male and female names of the species?

The males and females of the Tucanoichthys tucano fish do not have specific names.

What would you call a baby Tucanoichthys tucano?

A baby Tucanoichthys tucano is called a fry.

What do they eat?

The Tucanoichthys tucano tetra feeds on zooplankton and tiny invertebrates throughout its life in the wild. In the domestic aquarium settings, it can be given a varied distribution of dried food and meals consisting of live Artemia nauplii brine shrimp, Daphnia plankton, Moina crustaceans, and Grindal worms. In the wild, they become food for larger fish like eels and angelfish.

Are they poisonous?

No, Tucanoichthys tucano tetras are not poisonous.

Would they make a good pet?

Yes, Tucanoichthys tucanos make great pets. Caring for them is relatively easy, not much harder than other fish. They should be housed in a nano or small aquarium with plenty of plant matter that imitates their natural habitat. It would be unwise to keep them with bigger fish for fear of predation. They are a peaceful species in domestic settings but males may become aggressive with other males, but having 8-10 tucanos makes them an interesting fish to watch. They can be given a varied diet of dry as well as live food. The ideal temperature for the fish is 68-82.4°F (20–28 °C) and a pH of 4-6.5 and hardness of 18-143 ppm should be maintained. The addition of plant matter, like dried leaves, as well as giving habitat familiarity, gives rise to microbial colonies. The best lighting to be used for tucano fish tanks is dim. You may also add sandy substrates as well as alder cones, driftwood branches, peat, almond leaves, and roots.

Did you know...

The natural microbe colonies that exist in the natural habitat of Tucnoichthys tucanos sometimes prove to be a source of food for juvenile fry fish. The tannins released from the dead leaves are naturally beneficial to the growth and life of tucanos.

Different types of tucano

Tucanoichthys tucano tetras are the sole member of their genus Tucanoichthys, so there aren't any other types of tucano fish.

Do Tucanoichthys tucanos bite?

Tucanoichthys tucanos are tiny fish with tiny conical teeth, and they aren't really capable of biting humans.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other fishes from our black neon tetra surprising facts and pigfish fun facts pages.

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our Tucanoichthys Tucano coloring pages.