Yellow Tetra (eos) Care Guide
Hyphessobrycon eos, the Dawn tetra, is a small characin recorded from the Guianas, kept as a peaceful schooling fish in soft tinted water.
Compiled by Aquairi from published sources · Published · Updated
Overview
Hyphessobrycon eos, known as the Dawn tetra, is a small characin rarely seen in the trade. Its species name references Eos, the Greek goddess of dawn, a name typically applied to fish with rosy coloration.
Taxonomy
- Family: Characidae (order Characiformes)
- Genus: Hyphessobrycon
- Scientific name: Hyphessobrycon eos
Habitat
FishBase lists the species from South America, with the locality recorded as Guyana and marked uncertain. It is a benthopelagic freshwater fish of tropical waters.
Tank requirements
- Minimum tank volume: 60 L
- Temperature: 23-27 °C (73-81 °F)
- pH: 5.5-7.0
- GH: 1-10 °dGH
- Maximum size: about 4.2 cm TL (FishBase)
- School size: 6 or more individuals
- Lifespan: 3-5 years
Diet
The species is omnivorous and accepts small dried, frozen and live foods in the aquarium, fed twice daily.
Compatibility
It is a peaceful mid-water schooler that shows best in groups over a dark substrate in lightly tinted water. Suitable companions include Cardinal tetras and pencilfish; aggressive species should be avoided.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List: Least Concern (assessed 2020).
Yellow Tetra / Dawn Tetra (Hyphessobrycon eos) Breeding Guide
Overview
Hyphessobrycon eos Durbin, 1909, the dawn tetra, is a freshwater, benthopelagic characid recorded by FishBase from South America (Guyana, listed as questionable) and reaching 4.2 cm total length. FishBase provides no reproduction details for the species, and no whitelisted source documents a captive spawning. This guide therefore reports the verified taxonomy and the general egg-scattering pattern of the genus.
Sexing
No species-specific sexing characters are recorded in the consulted sources. Across the genus Hyphessobrycon, mature females are generally rounder and fuller-bodied than the slimmer males when carrying eggs.
Conditioning
FishBase classifies the species as freshwater, benthopelagic and tropical. In the absence of species data, the genus approach is to condition a maintained group on small live and frozen foods until females visibly fill with eggs.
Breeding Setup
Following the Hyphessobrycon pattern, a small dimly lit spawning tank with fine-leaved plants or a spawning mop, or a mesh base that keeps eggs away from the adults, suits egg-scattering tetras, with gentle air-driven sponge filtration. Species-specific spawning parameters for H. eos are not on record.
Egg & Fry Care
In the genus, the eggs and early fry are light-sensitive, adults give no parental care and eat their own spawn, eggs hatch within roughly 24-36 hours, and fry become free-swimming after a few days, starting on infusoria-grade food before brine shrimp nauplii. No egg count or timing is confirmed for H. eos itself.