It’s in the mail: cover of AMAZONAS Magazine, Volume 5, Number 4. On the cover: Lamp Eye Congo Tetras, Phenacogrammus aurantiacus, image by Hans-Georg Evers

Words of introduction from editor in chief Hans-Georg Evers: “Often dismissed as beginner fishes, the small, colorful characins deserve their popularity…however, unlike cichlids and catfishes, tetras tend not to have many fanatic followers…this is a pity, because keeping tetras can give the aquarist new, truly wonderful experiences.”

Thomas Weidner provides an introduction to the latest 2015 revision of herichthyin cichlids to kick off the Aquatic Notebook department in the current issue.

Hans-Georg Evers writes, “If there are few groups of fishes that defy easy stereotyping, the tetras may lead the pack…this family includes harmless little gems as well as some fishes with a fearsome bite—and here we explore their complexity…”

Hans-George Evers reintroduces us to Rachow’s Darter Tetra, Characidium rachovii, an unproblematic and easy-to-breed fish that fell by the wayside.

Discover the keeping and breeding of Acestrorhynchus pantaneiro in “Barracuda Tetras from the Pantanal,” as told by Thomas Breitlow.

In “Tetras with Teeth”, Mike Tuccinardi examines two groups of predatory characins with heart-stopping dentition!

“Readers have the special pleasure of getting a first taste of a new book honoring the great Takashi Amano, who died last year after a career that has changed aquarium aquascaping forever. Special thanks to contributor Steve Waldron for writing the piece and creating a connection between AMAZONAS and the Amano family, who will carry on the master’s work.” – Hans-George Evers, editor in chief

Oliver Lucanus presents two of the smallest cichlid species in “True Dwarf Cichlids”; learn more about the diminutive South American Apistogramma minima, and Africa’s minuscule Nanochromis minor.

The Hainan Sucker-Belly Loach, Plesiomyzon boatingensis, may just be a new-and-improved version of the Panda Hillstream Loach. Find out more from Friedrich Bitter’s look at this fantastic hillstream loach.

Do not confuse them with the common “Dwarf Aquatic Frogs” you may be familiar with. Petra Saracbasi will introduce you to a novelty for the planted aquarium: the Dwarf Suriname Toad (Pipa parva).

Petra Fitz invites you to the home of Marion and Dirk to be immersed in an 800-gallon Amazon Illusion.

This issue’s “Species Snapshots” examines the Milk Spotted Puffer, Chelonodon patoca; the sly, nocturnal Ninja Woodcat, Tatia musaica; the moderately-sized Chameleon Whiptail Catfish, Pseudohemiodon apithanos; a notable mutation of the Leopard Frog Pleco, Peckoltia compta (aka. L134); the difficult to find Queen Moss, Hydropogonella gymnostoma; and a strikingly contrasting hybrid Endler strain, the Santa Maria Bleeding Heart Endler, originating from the breeding of Japan-based Kenichiro Tamura.