Blueberry Tetra

About

Almost every Hyphessobrycon in this catalogue is a still-water fish: forest creeks, floodplain lakes, morichals, leaf litter and a filter turned down. The blueberry tetra is the exception, and it is the single most useful thing to know about it. FishBase, summarising the 2016 description: "Inhabits clear water streams with moderate to rapid water currents, running over sand bottom." Maidenhead Aquatics says the same: "their native habitat is described as clearwater streams of moderate to rapid current that flow over a sandy substrate". Aquadiction turns it into instruction: "Given their natural habitat in streams with consistent water flow, maintaining adequate water movement is essential when housing these Tetras in an aquarium setting." So this fish gets a powerhead or a returned spraybar where a rosy tetra would want the opposite, and it is the one place in this group where copying the neighbouring entry's setup would be wrong. It is also the newest. Marinho, Dagosta, Camelier and Oyakawa named it in 2016 in the Journal of Fish Biology, in a paper titled "A name for the 'blueberry tetra', an aquarium trade popular species of Hyphessobrycon Durbin (Characiformes, Characidae), with comments on fish species descriptions lacking accurate type locality" — the fish was in the hobby before it had a name. FishBase records the honour: "wadai: Named for Luiz Wada, an ornamental fish breeder and enthusiastic aquarist, in recognition of his help in many scientific researches with fishes." Aquarium Glaser was offering German-bred stock by December 2017 and noted that it "is already a popular aquarium fish in Sao Paulo (Brazil) since several years". Tank-bred is now normal: Maidenhead reports the fish "breed readily in captivity, with tank bred specimens becoming the norm in the trade". On status, the honest answer is that the name is settled and the filing is not. Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes says "Current status: Valid as Hyphessobrycon wadai Marinho, Dagosta, Camelier & Oyakawa 2016", with no competing name and no synonymy — Zarske's 2016 review accepted it. But the Catalog and FishBase both file it in Acestrorhamphidae, subfamily Hyphessobryconinae, while GBIF's accepted record and the describing paper's own title say Characidae; this entry uses Characidae, as the rest of the catalogue's tetras do. The IUCN has not assessed it at all — FishBase's Red List line reads "Not Evaluated", which is unusual for a fish this common in shops and is exactly the gap the description paper's abstract flags when it offers "A brief comment on fish species descriptions solely based on aquarium material and its consequence for conservation policies". And Seriously Fish, this catalogue's usual anchor for a tetra, has no profile for it. Everything here rests on FishBase, the Catalog of Fishes and two care sites. Those care sites disagree about size, so plan for the larger figure. FishBase gives "Max length : 3.5 cm SL" and Maidenhead "3.5cm (1.4\")"; Aquadiction says "Approx Max Size 2.5 cm". This entry uses 4 cm as total length, which is 3.5 cm of body plus a tail. Identification is easy once you know what to look at: FishBase's diagnosis is "single humeral blotch present; no distinct caudal-peduncle blotch; no well-defined dark mid-lateral stripe on body", and Aquadiction describes the living animal as "a purple-blue body and orange fins" with "an orange lateral line, a hint of red in the eyes, and soft white tips on the unpaired fins". One shoulder spot, no tail spot, no flank stripe — the exact inverse of the mark that identifies the purple tetra in this same batch, whose diagnostic is on the tail wrist. Beware the German trade name: Maidenhead notes that it is also sold as "Blackberry tetra", and adds, drily, that "both of these fruity monikers refer to colour rather than taste".

Care

A group of eight or more in a tank with real water movement — this is not a still-water tetra, and a lazy filter is the commonest way to keep it badly. Sixty centimetres of base and about 70 litres for a shoal; that gate is derived here, because neither care source prints a tank size. Sand, driftwood and open swimming room, with planting round the edges: Maidenhead wants "open areas in which the males can try to intimidate one another whilst trying to impress the females", and Aquadiction warns that "minor disagreements may arise among the group members", so numbers and sightlines matter more than usual. Water 23-26 °C on the soft, acid side — Maidenhead says captive-bred stock "will acclimatise to a wide range of aquarium conditions. pH: 5.5-7.5, KH: 1-18 degrees", while Aquadiction gives the wild-type ideal as GH 1-6 and KH 1-2, and this entry keeps the optimum soft while allowing the tolerance the trade fish genuinely has. Peaceful with other small community fish and, per Maidenhead, a good dither fish for shy catfish and dwarf cichlids. Safe with plants despite grazing algae in the wild. Keep the lid on.

Diet

Wild diet measured, not assumed: filamentous algae, organic debris, insect larvae and fragments of terrestrial insects and other arthropods. Quality flake and micropellets plus small frozen foods; bloodworm as an occasional treat rather than a staple.

Telling males from females

What works for this species, most reliable first.

• Belly depthA hint only · only on well-fed adults, and only as a comparison

  For most tetras, barbs and rasboras this is all there is: a conditioned female is deeper through the belly than a male of the same length.

Also in these lists

Similar species

Same category and the closest water parameters — if this species isn't quite it, start here.

Sold in Lithuania

These Lithuanian shops listed this species in their public catalogue (checked August 8, 2026). Stock moves — ask before you travel.

These links are unpaid: we get nothing for them and ask for nothing.

Frequently asked questions

What tank size does a Blueberry Tetra need?

A Blueberry Tetra needs an aquarium of at least 70 litres (18.5 US gallons) with a footprint at least 60 cm (23.6 in) long — for this species, swimming length matters as much as raw volume.

What water parameters does a Blueberry Tetra need?

Blueberry Tetra does best at 20–27 °C (68–80.6 °F), pH 5.5–7.5 and a general hardness of 1–10 °dGH.

What group size does a Blueberry Tetra need?

Blueberry Tetra is a social species — keep a group of at least 8 so natural behaviour emerges and stress stays low.

Is the Blueberry Tetra suitable for beginners?

Yes — Blueberry Tetra is one of the easier species to keep and forgives typical first-tank mistakes, as long as the aquarium is cycled and maintained.

Sources

• FishBase — Hyphessobrycon wadai
• Maidenhead Aquatics — Blueberry Tetra (Hyphessobrycon wadai)
• Aquadiction — Blueberry Tetra (Hyphessobrycon wadai)
• Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes — Hyphessobrycon wadai
• GBIF — Hyphessobrycon wadai Marinho, Dagosta, Camelier & Oyakawa, 2016
• Aquarium Glaser — Hyphessobrycon wadai
• Species New to Science — Hyphessobrycon wadai (abstract of Marinho et al. 2016)