This species is relatively rare in the aquarium hobby but is occasionally traded as ‘red-tailed flag tetra’.

It lends its name to the H. aghula group of closely-related species within the genus as proposed by Géry (1977, see below) of which members share the following characters which set them apart from other characids: lower half of the body dark, especially above the anal-fin; usually possessing a laterally-elongate humeral spot, more-or-less united wit…

It differs from H. paucilepis by possessing 30-31 scales in the lateral row (vs. 28-29), 3 scales between the lateral line and anal-fin (vs. 4), 10 predorsal scales (vs. 9), ii, 9 dorsal-fin rays (vs. iii, 8), 4 maxillary teeth (vs. 1), and the distance between the dorsal-fi…

Known only from headwaters of the upper Paraná river basin in the Federal District plus the neighbouring state of Goiás, central Brazil.

Type locality is ‘Planaltina, Lagoa Fervedeira, Goiás, Brazil’ with additional records existing mostly from the rio São Bartolomeu including the Bananal, Santa Maria-Torto and Gama tributary systems.

Collected from small streams flowing through savanna grassland containing clear, light brown-coloured water with substrates of sand and gravel and little in the way of submerged or riparian vegetation.

At the type locality pH varied between 5.8 – 6.3, GH and KH were both <1°, conductivity was 9-13 μs and temperature 24.7 – 27.2°C/76.6 – 80.1°F.

This species has been traded as ‘six-eyed tetra’ in reference to its colour pattern comprising two dark spots on each flank plus the eye.

Based on the extensive review of the genus by Lucena and Malabarba (2010), in which nine new species were described, P. tegatus can be told apart from congeners by the following combination of characters: lateral line incomplete with 8-13 perforated scales; laterally elongate humera…

This fish is normally traded as A. nigropterus or A. cf. ansorgii although neither appears to be its correct name meaning it remains unidentified at present.

A. nigropterus is a valid congener that is not in the aquarium trade with little to no export from Lake Mai-Ndombe, to which it is endemic, while A. ansorgii is a synonym of Nannopetersius ansorgii.

This species is sometimes traded as ‘cherry red Congo tetra’ or ‘super red Congo tetra’ and has also been referred to using the misapplied names Alestopetersius nigropterus (a valid congener) and A. ansorgii (a synonym of Nannopetersius ansorgii).

This species appears to be restricted to the Imo and Niger drainages in Nigeria but the full extent of its distribution is unclear.

Type locality is ‘Aba, Lower Niger, Nigeria’, corresponding to the city of Aba in Abia state, southern Nigeria which lies on the Aba River, a tributary of the Imo.

Nigeria has lost 95 % of its original rainforest cover, num…

It’s most similar to A. riesei but can be told apart by its more-elongate body (depth 4-5 times, vs. 3.1-3.5 times, in SL), live body colour (silvery yellow, vs. red) and suborbital bone structure (almost complete, vs. reduced).

The third species, A. lindeae, is quite different posses…

This species is much rare in the hobby than its congener A. stigmatias, presumably a reflection of its more remote, restricted natural range.

The red pigmentation on the body can vary in both extent and intensity, and apparently begins to fade when the fish have been maintained in aquaria for a period.