In the cacophony of swimming fishes in the Zoo's Amazonia exhibit, it's difficult to decide what to focus on. But if you know what to look for, you may catch a glimpse of the fascinating and diverse reproductive behaviors displayed by these freshwater fishes native to the Amazon Basin. Take the lemon tetra, which is named for its bright yellow fins.
Lemon tetras live in schools of from several dozen to several hundred and can be found near cover.
A female releases about 150 eggs in about 20 spawning episodes during the first four hours of daylight. The female quivers her eggs into the water column, usually near aquatic plants, and they are fertilized simultaneously by one or more males. The falling fertilized eggs then either stick to a plant or to the substrate, where they hatch in about one day. If you don't see any quivering female lemon tetras, look for courting males, which are very conspicuous. Excited males, usually silver with a peppering of dark pigment, turn darker, then employ one of two strategies to increase their spawning success.