The bleeding heart tetra, Hyphessobrycon erythrostigma is a freshwater tropical fish from the large and much systematically revised family Characidae. It is native to the upper Amazon river basin in South America, especially in creeks and small streams with dense vegetation. They are a light silver-green in color and their common name comes from the red spot found behind their gill cover. In 1943 these fish were first brought into the aquarium trade and have become a popular aquarium fish, partly because they are not aggressive to other species and they do especially well in schools of five or more. Little is know about them in their native habitat, but studies in the aquarium have revealed some information about their reproduction (they reproduce externally, fertilized eggs sink to the bottom and hatch after 30 days, and the hatchlings get no parental attention once they are born) and that their feeding habits are diverse, made up of small invertebrates, zooplankton, and organic matter.

(Eng 2006; Wikipedia 2011)