Species Information

Kingdom: Animalia
  Phylum: Craniata
    Class: Actinopterygii
      Order: Characiformes
        Family: Characidae
          Genus: Astyanax
            Species: mexicanus

Mexican Tetra - Astyanax mexicanus

Mexican Tetra

Image courtesy of Biota Information System of New Mexico

379325

Species Extent (New Mexico)

General Description

Mexican Tetra (Astyanax mexicanus) is a small (10 cm) fish that occurs in eastern and central Mexico and the lower Rio Grande, Pecos, and Nueces river drainages in Texas and New Mexico. They inhabit a variety of aquatic habitats, but often are found in pools in springs with rocky and sandy bottoms. They are highly carnivorous, eating mostly fish and invertebrates.

Status

Global Rank: G5

State Rank: S2

State Status: T

Federal Status:

USFS Status:

BLM Status: BLM SENSITIVE

SWAP Status: SGCN

NMRP Strategy Status:

Observations in Natural Heritage New Mexico Database

Number of Subpopulations: 42

Number of Mapped Locations: 147

Number of Observations: 249

Observation date range: 10-18-1902 to 10-06-2020

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