Kissing Prochilodus/Flagtail Semaprochilodus insignis

The Flagtail Characins, genus Semaprochilodus, are some half a dozen similar-looking silver freshwater shoaling fish native to South America, from the Amazon, Orinoco and Maroni basins. Most have orange or yellow fins and tails with black stripes. All were previously in genus Prochilodus and retain that as one of their common names.

The Kissing Prochilodus, also called Kissing Flagtail Characin, is native to the central and western Amazon basin. It grows to 28cm (11 inches) long. It has dark spots on its silver body as a juvenile and but loses them and has a plain silver body as an adult.

They eat by using their lips to rasp algae off wood, hence the name "kissing" (although other Prochilodus eat the same way). They have 2 stomachs, one containing mud to help with digestion. Adults live in blackwater or clear water lakes, flooded forests and river tributaries but migrate to whitewater rapids to spawn, letting the eggs travel to floodplain nurseries downriver, before the adults return.