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Coral red pencilfish facts for kids

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Coral red pencilfish
Red Pencilfish.jpg
Conservation status
Scientific classification edit
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Characiformes
Family: Lebiasinidae
Genus: Nannostomus
Species:
N. mortenthaleri
Binomial name
Nannostomus mortenthaleri
Paepke & Arendt, 2001
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Synonyms
  • Nannostomus marginatus mortenthaleri Paepke & Arendt, 2001

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The coral red pencilfish (scientific name: Nannostomus mortenthaleri) is a tiny, colorful freshwater fish. It's known for its bright coral red body and fins, which stand out against its dark black stripes. This fish is a type of characin, belonging to a family called Lebiasinidae. It's one of the most vibrant fish in its group!

This small fish can grow up to 29 millimeters long. That's less than an inch and a half! Male coral red pencilfish have a special anal fin that is thicker than the females'.

Why Is It Called That?

The coral red pencilfish is named after a person named Martin Mortenthaler. He was an expert in exporting aquarium fish from Peru. Martin Mortenthaler was the one who first found this amazing fish.

Where Does It Live?

This special fish lives in freshwater in Peru, a country in South America. So far, it has only been found in a small stream that flows into the Nanay River. It might also live in the Tigre River. Because it lives in such a small area, it is considered a very rare fish.

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