Taxonomy

STEINDACHNER, 1876

Read :

Zarske, A. & J. Géry 2006:  Zur Identität von Copella nattereri (Steindachner, 1876) einschließlich der Beschreibung einer neuen Art (Teleostei: Characiformes: Lebiasinidae). Zoologische Abhandlungen Staatliches Museum für Tierkunde Dresden 56: 15-46.

 (http://www.senckenberg.de/files/content/forschung/abteilung/tierkunde/ichthyologie/publikationen/118_copella.pdf)

Taxonomic review of Copella (Characiformes:Lebiasinidae) with an identification key for the species (August 2017)

Synonyms

Copella nigrofasciata
Copeina callolepis, Regan, 1912
Copeina nattereri, Steindachner, 1876
Pyrrhulina nigrofasciata
Nannostomus stigmasemion

Until recently, this species has been handled as Copella nigrofasciata.

Distribution and habitat

Amazonas from Santarem (Pará), Brazil, to Rio Ucayali, Peru.

I have collected this species on several occasions, always in shallow forest creeks with extreme blackwater.

The pictures show one of the habitats where I collected it in October 2007.

The water in this habitat:  pH: 4,85   microSiemens/cm: 12   T: 32,1°C

Water parameters

PH : 3,5 - 7
ppm : Low

My Experience

Most of the time they spend just below the surface, looking for food.

They love newly hatched baby brine shrimps (BBS), but eat any small food that falls in the water.

Breeding

In my tanks, they breed among floating plants like Ceratopteris sp. and Ceratophyllum demersum.

There are always fish in various sizes among these plants, from the smallest, new born fry, to adult size.