Unknown Variety

Unknown variety is an informal designation for an x-ray tetra whose strain, color form, or source was not supplied. It still belongs to Pristella maxillaris, the hardy little tetra from northern South America also called the pristella tetra. Most fish under this label will be transparent wild-type, gold, or mixed descendants of common aquarium stock. Because the body is naturally clear and the fin markings are recognizable, species identification is usually easier than variety identification.

Treat unknown-variety fish as standard x-ray tetras unless a breeder can document otherwise. They do best in a calm shoal, with stable water, subdued cover, and small foods such as quality flakes, micro pellets, daphnia, or brine shrimp. New arrivals from mixed dealer tanks are worth quarantining because small tetras may travel through several wholesalers. For line breeding, choose only fish with documented color history; for a community display, the exact variety is rarely important.

Colors: Gold, Wild Type