High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! Paracheirodon is a genus of freshwater fish in the characin family (family Characidae) of order Characiformes. The type species is Paracheirodon innesi, the well-known neon tetra, and the Paracheirodon species are among the fishes known as tetras. All species of this genus are native to the Neotropic ecozone, occurring in several rivers and streams in northern South America.