{"id":30697,"date":"2025-09-16T09:42:20","date_gmt":"2025-09-16T09:42:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/doctorhulk.com\/anipedia\/?post_type=product&#038;p=30697"},"modified":"2025-09-25T15:53:32","modified_gmt":"2025-09-25T15:53:32","slug":"x-ray-tetra","status":"publish","type":"product","link":"https:\/\/doctorhulk.com\/zoopedia\/animal\/x-ray-tetra\/","title":{"rendered":"X-ray Tetra"},"content":{"rendered":"<p data-start=\"215\" data-end=\"433\">This is a small, shiny, fish with a see-through body. This fish gets its name from its semi-transparent body that shows off its internal bones like an X-ray. It lives in rivers of South America, swims in groups, and is calm and friendly enough that many beginner fishkeepers love it.<\/p>\n<h3 data-start=\"491\" data-end=\"527\"><strong data-start=\"498\" data-end=\"527\">Scientific Classification<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul data-start=\"529\" data-end=\"764\">\n<li data-start=\"529\" data-end=\"561\">\n<p data-start=\"531\" data-end=\"561\"><strong data-start=\"531\" data-end=\"547\">Common Name:<\/strong> X-ray Tetra<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"562\" data-end=\"609\">\n<p data-start=\"564\" data-end=\"609\"><strong data-start=\"564\" data-end=\"584\">Scientific Name:<\/strong> <em data-start=\"585\" data-end=\"607\">Pristella maxillaris<\/em><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"610\" data-end=\"635\">\n<p data-start=\"612\" data-end=\"635\"><strong data-start=\"612\" data-end=\"624\">Kingdom:<\/strong> Animalia<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"636\" data-end=\"660\">\n<p data-start=\"638\" data-end=\"660\"><strong data-start=\"638\" data-end=\"649\">Phylum:<\/strong> Chordata<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"661\" data-end=\"710\">\n<p data-start=\"663\" data-end=\"710\"><strong data-start=\"663\" data-end=\"673\">Class:<\/strong> Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"711\" data-end=\"739\">\n<p data-start=\"713\" data-end=\"739\"><strong data-start=\"713\" data-end=\"723\">Order:<\/strong> Characiformes<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"740\" data-end=\"764\">\n<p data-start=\"742\" data-end=\"764\"><strong data-start=\"742\" data-end=\"753\">Family:<\/strong> Characidae<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4 data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">Physical characteristics<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>X-ray tetras reach about 4\u20135 cm in length.<\/li>\n<li>Their bodies are silvery and partly transparent.<\/li>\n<li>The dorsal and anal fins have stripes of yellow, white, and black.<\/li>\n<li>Their tails are reddish or pink.<\/li>\n<li>Males are usually slimmer; females are a bit rounder and may show eggs when ready to spawn.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\" data-start=\"1267\" data-end=\"1367\"><em data-start=\"1270\" data-end=\"1367\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/aquadiction.world\/img\/profile\/x-ray-tetra.webp\" alt=\"X-ray Tetra - Pristella maxillaris Fish Profile &amp; Care Guide\" \/>Image showing close-up of a single X-ray tetra showing its transparent body and colorful tail fin (Source: Aquadiction)<\/em><\/p>\n<h4 data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">Habitat and distribution<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>They grow up in slow-moving rivers and streams in places like Brazil, Venezuela, Suriname, and parts of the Amazon basin.<\/li>\n<li>They tolerate slightly different water types, some are soft and acidic, some a little harder.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em data-start=\"1270\" data-end=\"1367\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/t4.ftcdn.net\/jpg\/15\/17\/06\/47\/360_F_1517064751_BqfJwPZQNaOuYsbPzPllQv3eLJjK0967.jpg\" alt=\"X-Ray Fish&quot; Images \u2013 Browse 917 Stock Photos, Vectors, and Video | Adobe Stock\" \/>Image showing a\u00a0 school of X-ray tetras swimming through clear water (Source: AdobeStock)<\/em><\/p>\n<h4 data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">Diet and feeding habits<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>In nature, they eat small insects, larvae, and tiny organisms floating in the water.<\/li>\n<li>In aquariums, they accept good flake food or pellets plus frozen or live treats like brine shrimp or insect larvae.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4>Life cycle and reproduction<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>They lay eggs, and scatter them over plants or decorations.<\/li>\n<li>Eggs hatch in about 24 to 36 hours under good conditions.<\/li>\n<li>The fry swim freely a few days later.<\/li>\n<li>In aquariums, they will breed if water is clean, warm enough, and plants or fine cover are available.<\/li>\n<li>Lifespan is about 4-5 years if well kept.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4>Behavior and adaptations<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>X-ray tetras swim in schools; being in groups reduces stress and helps them feel safe.<\/li>\n<li>Their semi-transparent body helps camouflage them against predators.<\/li>\n<li>Their coloration on fins can warn or distract predators.<\/li>\n<li>They prefer planted tanks or places to hide.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\" data-start=\"3192\" data-end=\"3286\"><em data-start=\"3195\" data-end=\"3286\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/thumbs.dreamstime.com\/b\/golden-pristella-tetra-pristella-maxillaris-ray-tetra-fish-white-pretty-67215480.jpg\" alt=\"X Ray Tetra Stock Photos - Free &amp; Royalty-Free Stock Photos from Dreamstime\" \/>Image showing a\u00a0 pair of X-ray tetras (Source: Dreamstime)<\/em><\/p>\n<h4 data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">All known species or varieties<\/h4>\n<p>This species has a few variants people keep:<\/p>\n<p><strong>1. Regular (<em>Pristella maxillaris<\/em>):<\/strong> has typical transparent body, red tail, yellow\/black\/white fin stripes.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/indofishexporter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/pristella-tetra.jpg?w=788\" alt=\"Pristella Tetra\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>Image showing Regular x ray tetra fish (Pristella maxillaris)(Source: <span class=\"author vcard\">Mohan Raj &#8211; indofishexporter).\u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>2. Albino variant (Red Belly X-ray):<\/strong> has paler body, pinkish tones, similar fin patterns.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/dcfreshwaterfish.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Albino-X-Ray-Tetra-6_064554.jpeg\" alt=\"Albino X-Ray Tetra Pristella Maxillaris 2cm - dcfreshwaterfish.co.uk\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>Image showing Albino variant (Red Belly X-ray) (Source: Dcfreshwaterfish)<\/em><\/p>\n<h4>Threats and conservation status<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>They are listed as Least Concern by IUCN. That means they are\u00a0 not declining sharply.<\/li>\n<li>Water pollution and habitat changes could affect local populations though, especially where their river systems are degraded.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4>Interaction with humans<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>These fish are common in home aquariums because they are peaceful and pretty.<\/li>\n<li>They don\u2019t bother people.<\/li>\n<li>Tank mates are gentle fish.<\/li>\n<li>Because they like clean water, caring for them helps new aquarists learn good aquarium practices.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Fun facts<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>You can see through their body to some organs, and that\u2019s how they got \u201cx-ray\u201d in the name.<\/li>\n<li>They can survive mild brackish water (a mix of fresh and salt) better than many other tetras.<\/li>\n<li>Their fin colours, yellow, black, white, look like a signal flag and help them stand out during courtship or among their own kind.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>You can reach out to us at <strong>Doctor Hulk Veterinary Hospital<\/strong> through <strong>08143397614<\/strong> if you want to learn more about keeping this species or caring for other animals<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This is a small, shiny, fish with a see-through body. This fish gets its name from its semi-transparent body that<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":30757,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":[],"product_brand":[],"product_cat":[174],"product_tag":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-30697","1":"product","2":"type-product","3":"status-publish","4":"has-post-thumbnail","6":"product_cat-x","8":"first","9":"instock","10":"shipping-taxable","11":"product-type-simple"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/doctorhulk.com\/zoopedia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product\/30697","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/doctorhulk.com\/zoopedia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/doctorhulk.com\/zoopedia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/product"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/doctorhulk.com\/zoopedia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=30697"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/doctorhulk.com\/zoopedia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product\/30697\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":30708,"href":"https:\/\/doctorhulk.com\/zoopedia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product\/30697\/revisions\/30708"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/doctorhulk.com\/zoopedia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/30757"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/doctorhulk.com\/zoopedia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=30697"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"product_brand","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/doctorhulk.com\/zoopedia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product_brand?post=30697"},{"taxonomy":"product_cat","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/doctorhulk.com\/zoopedia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product_cat?post=30697"},{"taxonomy":"product_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/doctorhulk.com\/zoopedia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product_tag?post=30697"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}