The Lebiasinidae are a family of freshwater fishes found in Costa Rica, Panama, and South America. They are usually small and are known as ornamental fishes in aquaria, including popular fishes such as the various pencilfish and the splashing tetra.
Lebiasinids are small, cylindrical fish, ranging from in adult length. They prey on insect larvae, especially those of mosquitos. The family includes the voladoras (genera Lebiasina and Piabucina), mostly found in highlands of the north Andes, the Guiana Shield and Central America, but the other species are mainly lowland fish inhabiting the Orinoco, Amazon and Paraguay River basins, and rivers of the Guianas.
Genera Around 67 species are placed in these genera:
Subfamily Lebiasininae Gill, 1889 (lebiasinas or voladoras) Derhamia Géry & Zarske, 2002 Lebiasina Valenciennes, 1847
Subfamily Pyrrhulininae Bleeker, 1859 (splashing tetras and pencilfishes) Copeina Fowler, 1906 Copella Myers, 1956 Nannostomus Günther, 1872 Pyrrhulina Valenciennes, 1846
External links
Nelson, Joseph S. (2006). Fishes of the World. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.