American Characins

African Characins

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Characins (Characiformes) are amongst the oldest of the fish orders originating about 80-150 million years ago this would place them in the era before the separation of Africa and America, this is supported by the fact that there are similar groups of fish on both sides of the Atlantic. The African characins are made up of the Families Charcidae (including Alestinae), Citharindae (including Distichodontinae) and Hepsetidae. The American Characins families are Anostomidae, Hemiodontidae, Ctenolucliidae, Curimatidae, Erythrinidae, Gastropelecidae, Lebiasinidae and Characidae (including the subfamilies Characidiinae, Crenuchinae, Serrasalminae and Rhoadsinae). The biggest majority of the characins are diurnal, most are in fact prediators, but most are too small for this to be of any concern within the aquarium. They are schooling fishes which will keep your community aquaria very busy throughout the mid water. Most aquaria will contain at least a few species of characin.