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Organism
(ORGA)
last updated: 22 Sep 2026
Pristella maxillaris
| Realm | Eukarya |
| Kingdom | Metazoa/Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Actinopteri/Actinopterygii |
| Order | Characiformes |
| Suborder | Characoidei |
| Family | Acestrorhamphidae |
| Subfamily | Pristellinae |
| Genus | Pristella |
| Species | Pristella maxillaris |
- Aphyocarax maxillaris Ulrey, 1894
- Holopristis riddlei Meek, 1907
- Pristella riddlei Meek, 1907
- Hemigrammus riddlei Meek, 1907
- Holopristes riddlei Meek, 1907
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Pristella TetraEN
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X-ray tetraEN
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Goldren Pristella TetraEN
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Water goldfinchEN
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Albino pristellaEN
- GBIF - Pristella maxillaris (Ulrey, 1894) [ English ]
- Catalogue of life - Pristella maxillaris (Ulrey, 1894) [ English ]
Fish
Domesticated
Pristella maxillaris is native to tropical South America, occurring naturally in the Amazon and Orinoco basins and the coastal river drainages of the Guianas. The species was originally described from Brazil, with the type locality considered to be probably in eastern Pará State.
No specific centre of genetic diversity has been identified for Pristella maxillaris. The species has a broad native distribution encompassing the Amazon and Orinoco basins and the coastal river drainages of the Guianas, but available information is insufficient to identify a particular geographical area as its centre of genetic diversity.
P. maxillaris inhabits tropical freshwater environments, typically slow-moving or still waters with abundant aquatic vegetation,
Pristella maxillaris is a tropical freshwater species inhabiting primarily calm or slow-moving waters, including coastal swamps, streams and other densely vegetated freshwater habitats. In the Guianas, it occurs in coastal swamps and blackwater streams of the savanna belt, where it is associated with aquatic macrophyte vegetation. It is a small, schooling mid-water fish that thrives at temperatures around 24-28°C, with pH near neutral (about 6.0-7.5), and it is tolerant of a range of water compositions, including soft blackwater and clearer white water conditions.
Pristella maxillaris is a tropical freshwater species inhabiting primarily calm or slow-moving waters, including coastal swamps, streams and other densely vegetated freshwater habitats. In the Guianas, it occurs in coastal swamps and blackwater streams of the savanna belt, where it is associated with aquatic macrophyte vegetation. It is a small, schooling mid-water fish that thrives at temperatures around 24-28°C, with pH near neutral (about 6.0-7.5), and it is tolerant of a range of water compositions, including soft blackwater and clearer white water conditions.
Pristella maxillaris is widely distributed in northern South America, occurring in the Amazon and Orinoco basins and the coastal river drainages of the Guianas. Its native range includes Brazil, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana. It is now globally distributed in captivity through the ornamental fish trade, including both wild-type and selectively bred domestic forms.
EN
- Ornamental
- P. maxillaris's translucent body makes internal structures, such as the vertebral column, partly visible hence the common name “X-ray tetra”. It is a peaceful fish that feeds on small worms, crustaceans and insect larvae in the wild and in captivity.
- Molecular studies have characterized its complete mitochondrial genome of 16,753 bp and generated a telomere-to-telomere nuclear genome assembly, providing a genomic foundation for studies of morphology, development and selective breeding, including its use as a recipient for fluorescent transgenes in GloFish® lines. The species serves as the wild-type background for transgenic GloFish® Pristella tetra lines marketed in multiple fluorescent colors.
- NCBI taxonomy: Pristella maxillaris (ID 681932) [URL] [ English ]
- UniProt taxonomy: Pristella maxillaris (ID 681932) [URL] [ English ]
- Fishbase: Pristella maxillaris [URL] [ English ]
- Livestock Genomics (2019): Morphological Characteristics and Comparative Transcriptome Analysis of Three Different Phenotypes of Pristella maxillaris [PDF] ( Frontiers in Genetics ) [ English ]
- Scientific Data (2025): A complete telomere-to-telomere chromosome-level genome assembly of X-ray tetra (Pristella maxillaris) [PDF] ( Nature Portfolio, Data Descriptor ) [ English ]
- Mitochondrial DNA Part B (2022): First determination and analysis of the complete mitochondrial genome of X-ray tetra Pristella maxillaris (Ulrey, 1894) (Actinopteri, Characidae) [PDF] ( Mitogenome Announcement, Bioscience ) [ English ]
