Not furry, but we like them anyway.
Head and Tail Light Tetra
Hemigrammus ocellifer
Also called Head-and-taillight tetra, Beacon tetra, Beacon fish, Holopristis ocellifera
From South America: the Amazon basin (Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Ecuador) and rivers of Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana123
At a glance the quick version
Looks how to spot one
Small scaled characin (tetra) with an adipose fin
A translucent silvery tetra with a dark line along the back half of the body. Two shining copper-gold spots act like little lamps, one just behind the eye and one at the base of the tail, with a red mark near the tail as well. Females are larger and heavier-bodied than males.32
Personality what they are like
Calm and sociable, described as one of the best tetras for a general community tank. It gets on well with livebearers, danios, rasboras, other tetras, Corydoras and small peaceful cichlids, but should not share a tank with fish big enough to eat it.2
Daily activity how busy a day looks
Lively schooling fish that likes calmer water; a group swimming together shows off the reflective spots.12
Grooming and care the hands-on bits
No grooming needed. Regular partial water changes; colour is best in softer, slightly acidic water. Most fish sold are commercially bred.23
Home where they are happiest
Tank of at least 60 cm long (about 68 litres) for a small group. Temperature 22-28 °C (FishBase 22-26 °C, Seriously Fish 24-28 °C), pH about 5.5-7.5 (FishBase 6.0-8.0), hardness about 5-20 dGH.12
Food basics what goes in the bowl
Omnivore. Wild fish eat worms, small insects, crustaceans and plants; in the aquarium offer flakes and granules with small live or frozen foods such as bloodworm, Daphnia and brine shrimp.12
Company who they like around
The story where it all began
Franz Steindachner described the species in 1882 as Tetragonopterus ocellifer from Villa Bella and Cudajás in Brazil. In 1903 Carl Eigenmann made it the type species of the genus Holopristis, a name that was brought back into use in 2024, so it is now often listed as Holopristis ocellifera. It has been a popular, easy aquarium fish for decades.321
Fun facts for the dinner table
- 1
Its name ocellifer means 'bearing an eye-spot', after the eye-like marking at the base of the tail.3
- 2
The genus name Holopristis refers to teeth running along the whole edge of the upper jaw bone.3
- 3
In the aquarium it breeds readily; at 26 °C the eggs hatch in about 48 to 60 hours.1
- 4
A form sometimes listed as the subspecies falsus lacks the red spot near the tail.2
Recognised by the official bits
- IUCN Red List
- Least Concern (assessed 4 March 2021)1
- FishBase
- Rated highly commercial in the aquarium trade1
The care rhythm Furry Diary remembers it for you
A typical home-care rhythm for a Head and Tail Light Tetra. It is our own starting plan, not a vet's advice, and you can change every line in the app.
- FeedingSmall amounts once or twice a dayevery day
- Temperature checkevery day
- Water changeAbout 25% of the waterevery week
- Water testevery week
- Glass cleanevery week
- Filter rinseRinse in old tank water, never tap waterevery month
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Where this comes from
Every breed page shows where each fact comes from. If we got something wrong, sorry, we are pet people, not a science magazine. Tell us at [email protected] and we will fix it.
- FishBase species summary: Holopristis ocellifera (Head-and-taillight tetra) fishbase.seused for origin, maximum length, water parameters, natural diet, IUCN status, trade use
- Seriously Fish species profile: Hemigrammus ocellifer seriouslyfish.comused for aquarium size, water parameters, diet, behaviour, group size, sexing, naming
- Wikipedia: Head and Tail Light Tetra en.wikipedia.orgused for other names, appearance, lifespan, history, fun facts
Checked 2026-09-30. Text is written in our own words from these sources.