Hyphessobrycon

Hyphessobrycon is a genus of freshwater ray-finned fish belonging to the family Acestrorhamphidae, the American characins. These species are among the fishes known as tetras. The genus is distributed in the Neotropical realm from southern Mexico to Río de la Plata in Argentina. Many of these species are native to South America; about six species are from Central America, and a single species, H. compressus, is from southern Mexico.

All small fishes, the Hyphessobrycon tetras reach maximum overall lengths of about 1.7–9.6 cm (0.7–3.8 in). Great anatomical diversity exists in this genus. They are generally of typical characin shape, but vary greatly in coloration and body form, many species having distinctive black, red, or yellow markings on their bodies and fins. These species are generally omnivorous, feeding predominantly on small crustaceans, insects, annelid worms, and zooplankton. When spawning, they scatter their eggs and guard neither eggs nor young.