Different looking Black Neon Tetra

Hello everyone. I've had 10 Black Neon Tetras in a community tank for a few years now. I like to keep the number right at 10 so if I lose one, I get another one to bring the total back to 10.

About a year ago I purchased a single fish from a LFS and when I put it in the tank I noticed that it was slightly different from the others and from the photos on the internet of Black Neons. It's black stripe doesn't extend down the entire length of its body and the color around its eyes is silver/blue, similar to its "neon" stripe above the black one. I've attached a photo of the fish along with two of my other Black Neons.

The fish seems happy and healthy and schools with the other Black Neons. I've just always been curious if it's actually some other species or just different colors. Anyone know?

 

Maybe a green neon tetra?

 

Interesting Haplix

 

It is a black neon, it just misses the black and red pigments. This could be a genetic defect or the fish is sick. Better picture is the only way to clear that up.

 

I hope it's not sick. I've had it for around a year and it's always looked exactly the same. It's also just as active as the other black neons. Here's another photo.

 

I think it’s a different species. Various unidentified characins frequently show up in shops mixed in with more familiar tetras.

 

I hope it's not sick. I've had it for around a year and it's always looked exactly the same. It's also just as active as the other black neons. Here's another photo.

Doesn't look like it is sick

 

I think it’s a different species. Various unidentified characins frequently show up in shops mixed in with more familiar tetras.

Either that or a colour morph. Now it would be necessary to know whether the fish are wild caught or farmraised. That would not necessarily clear this up but tell us which f the possibilities is more likely.

Btw sick doesn't have to mean disease or parasite or even deadly. Can also be a immune thing or a metabolism anomality that prevents the production of certain pigments.

 

I also say it is another species, as it is missing several vital characteristics of Black Neons. It's a lot closer to Hemigrammus hyanuary than Hyphessobrycon herbertaxelrodi. I'm not sure that's the correct ID either, but it's certainly a lot closer. There are many, many species with the basic black line, and a lot of those don't even have names yet. There is also variability from species to species in the amount of black on the lower abdomen.

BTW, many decades ago, hyanuary was known as the Green Neon. The fish became very uncommon, and someone decided to slip the name to one of the actual Neons in Paracheirodon.

 

Thank you all!

It is definitely closer to Hemigrammus hyanuary. It appears Hemigrammus hyanuary is also known as a Costello tetra, January tetra, as well as a Green Neon tetra (before Paracheirodon simulans primarily took over that as chromedome52 mentioned).

I've attached some images of Hemigrammus hyanuary from Google that, to me, look very similar to my fish.

Mod edit: Images removed for copyright issues.
apologies, forgot to add this earlier

 

Thank you all!

It is definitely closer to Hemigrammus hyanuary. It appears Hemigrammus hyanuary is also known as a Costello tetra, January tetra, as well as a Green Neon tetra (before Paracheirodon simulans primarily took over that as chromedome52 mentioned).

I've attached some images of Hemigrammus hyanuary from Google that, to me, look very similar to my fish.

I don't see those images.

 

I also say it is another species, as it is missing several vital characteristics of Black Neons. It's a lot closer to Hemigrammus hyanuary than Hyphessobrycon herbertaxelrodi. I'm not sure that's the correct ID either, but it's certainly a lot closer. There are many, many species with the basic black line, and a lot of those don't even have names yet. There is also variability from species to species in the amount of black on the lower abdomen.

BTW, many decades ago, hyanuary was known as the Green Neon. The fish became very uncommon, and someone decided to slip the name to one of the actual Neons in Paracheirodon.

Which actually is more blue to me hahaha. In Dutch it is actually called Blauwe Neon (Blue neon)

 

In Dutch it is actually called Blauwe Neon (Blue neon)

To complete the confusion, here in German:
Paracheirodon innesi - Neon
P. axelrodi - Roter Neon (red neon)
P. simulans - Blauer Neon (blue neon)
Hyphessobrycon herbertaxelrodi - Schwarzer Neon (black neon)
Hemigrammus hyanuary - Grüner Neon (green neon)
H. erythrozonus - Oranger Neon (orange neon) -> This one is rare and only found in old literature anymore

Still waiting for yellow and purple.

 

To complete the confusion, here in German:
Paracheirodon innesi - Neon
P. axelrodi - Roter Neon (red neon)
P. simulans - Blauer Neon (blue neon)
Hyphessobrycon herbertaxelrodi - Schwarzer Neon (black neon)
Hemigrammus hyanuary - Grüner Neon (green neon)
H. erythrozonus - Oranger Neon (orange neon) -> This one is rare and only found in old literature anymore

Still waiting for yellow and purple.

I've always been puzzled by the common name for Hyphessobrycon herbertaxelrodi. To me they look more blue than black.

 

I don't see those images.

Weird, I thought I saw them posted. Here they are.


Mod edit: Images removed for copyright issues

 

I've always been puzzled by the common name for Hyphessobrycon herbertaxelrodi. To me they look more blue than black.

Owwww nooooo another colorblind fishkeeper hahahaha.

 

Weird, I thought I saw them posted. Here they are.

 

While looking at pictures of H. hyanuary I found one that completely escaped me: Hemigrammus rodwayi. I find this a much better fit.

Hemigrammus rodwayi - Goldtetra (KatiG) - Aquarium-Stammtisch

Btw I find the pictures on seriouslyfish not representative as most are shot with flash, making the fish look metallic due to the reflection.

 

Interesting, and true some, though not all, of the pictures of H.rodwayi do look more similar. If they are all wild caught I believe that the distribution of this species would be more likely to overlap with that of black neons, as it appears to be quite widespread while H. hyanuary only occurs in Peru and the Amazonian region of Brazil. Black neons are from the Paraguay drainage.

 

MacZ, some years ago they were selling Inpaichthys kerri as the Purple Neon in the Chicago region. I have no idea why.

I would say rodwayi is very unlikely. The image of a school claimed to be rodwayi is more likely misidentified. I also noted that OP's mystery fish has an orange spot (very pale in his photos) above the black spot on the base of the caudal fin. And as I stated, there are many species, even undescribed, that are possible.

Since the mystery fish was purchased in a separate incident from the OP's Black Neons, point of origin would be irrelevant.

 

Since the mystery fish was purchased in a separate incident from the OP's Black Neons, point of origin would be irrelevant.

OK, I missed or forgot that point...

 

Since the mystery fish was purchased in a separate incident from the OP's Black Neons, point of origin would be irrelevant.

Missed that too.

MacZ, some years ago they were selling Inpaichthys kerri as the Purple Neon in the Chicago region. I have no idea why.

I would say rodwayi is very unlikely. The image of a school claimed to be rodwayi is more likely misidentified.

Then aside this case here: Just do a search for H. rodwayi pictures. The there is a species that is regularly mistaken for them that likes the ones I linked above. Can you tell me more maybe?

 

It is difficult, I have had similar issues trying to identify my Hyphessobrycon tetras and my Copellas. Some photos of certain species look like good matches while others of the same species do not, and many of the photos may not be correctly labelled anyway.

 

It is difficult, I have had similar issues trying to identify my Hyphessobrycon tetras and my Copellas. Some photos of certain species look like good matches while others of the same species do not, and many of the photos may not be correctly labelled anyway.

True.
What I find interesting is when a certain species shows up only in two looks. Often these become separated into two species. Before that happens both show up under the same name. Seems the rodwayi is in the stage before a new description.