Freshwater aquarium fish
GloFish (Genetically Modified Black Tetra)
Gymnocorymbus ternetzi (genetically modified)
Deep, compressed body shape with a high dorsal fin and elongated anal fin. Artificially modified to display bright, fluorescent neon colors including electric green, cosmic blue, starfire red, sunburst orange, and galactic purple, which glow under blue or black light.
- Habitat
- Captive freshwater aquariums worldwide, originally deriv…
- Size & weight
- Typically reaches about 2 to 2.5 inches (5 to 6 cm) in l…
- Diet
- Omnivorous; readily accepts high-quality flake foods, mi…
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Physical characteristics
Deep, compressed body shape with a high dorsal fin and elongated anal fin. Artificially modified to display bright, fluorescent neon colors including electric green, cosmic blue, starfire red, sunburst orange, and galactic purple, which glow under blue or black light.
Habitat & distribution
Captive freshwater aquariums worldwide, originally derived from slow-moving rivers, tributaries, and streams of South America (specifically the Paraguay and Paraná River basins).
Behavior
Active, peaceful, and highly social schooling fish. They prefer to be kept in groups of six or more to reduce nipping and stress, and they are predominantly diurnal.
Diet
Omnivorous; readily accepts high-quality flake foods, micro pellets, frozen or live foods such as brine shrimp, daphnia, and bloodworms. They feed actively in the middle water column.
Reproduction
Egg scatterers. In breeding conditions, females release adhesive eggs among fine-leaved plants where males fertilize them. They exhibit no parental care and will eat their own eggs if given the opportunity.
Ecological role
As an artificial, captive-bred ornamental strain, they generally do not play a wild ecological role, but in captivity, they serve as mid-water omnivorous community fish that interact with other small schooling species.
Similar species
Standard Wild-Type Black Tetra (Gymnocorymbus ternetzi), which shares the exact same body shape and fin structure but features natural silver, black, and white vertical banding rather than fluorescent colors.
Identification tips
Look for the distinctive high dorsal fin, deep-bodied tetra silhouette, and intensely bright fluorescent coloration that is absent in natural wild species.
Interesting facts
GloFish were originally developed by scientists using fluorescent protein genes (such as those from jellyfish and coral) to detect environmental pollutants in waterways before becoming commercially popular as aquarium pets.