Brilliant Rummy Nose Tetra Behavioral Differences

Tracy Bird

After reading the excellent proflie of this fish (Thank You BYRON!) I was wondering if there is any difference in the behavioral differences of the 3 mentioned sub species.

I have a trio of the H. bleheri and they are exactly as described in the profile.

Yesterday I purchased 8 more but I'm not sure yet which sub species I now own. They are acting much differently than the H. bleheri (swimming fast on the bottom and kinda bouncing around on the bottom) which could certainly be (and probably is) related to the stress of transport and change.

But I was just curious if there is behavioral differences within the sub species.

jennesque

When I first added mine, they were hanging around the bottom.. their noses weren't very red either so I knew they were stressed. Once they got comfortable though they started swimming around as I would expect them to.

Although, I ad some tank issues and had some die off leaving me with only five, when I added six more they joined the other rummys within just a couple minutes and didn't seem as stressed as he first initial group I added..

I wouldn't think the behavior between the different rummys would be very noticeable. I had some neons that acted almost the same.. I've got friends with other, similar tetra species and their fish's behavior doesn't seem all that different. I just think rummys swim closer together than most other schooling/ shoaling fish we get for the FW tank.
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Byron

I agree. Once they settle, they will all remain in a shoal.

BTW, these are distinct species, not sub-species. I know what you meant, you were thinking of the three species as all "rummys" which is fine, but not scientifically correct to call them subspecies.

I have a group of both Hemigrammus bleheri and Petitella georgiae in my 115g, and they remain together. I can easily see the individual species within the group, but to anyone who didn't know they would appear as one group of 23 of the same fish. I have never had the original species, H. rhodostomus, as its lack of intense red has made it much less popular now that the "Brilliant" species is prevalent. The false species, P. georgiae, is not common, I have only twice seen it locally, both times imported direct from Peru. While it lacks the intense red, it does have the wider-banded caudal fin which is impressive when the fish swim quickly down the tank in their formation.

Byron.