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Definition of mexican tetra
mexican tetra
Plural:Mexican tetras
mexican tetra Lexical Profile
CEFR
C1
Grade
10
Tier
3
Usage
Rare
• noun
1
North American A species of freshwater fish (Astyanax mexicanus) native to the lower Rio Grande and rivers in eastern and central Mexico, scientifically renowned for having both surface-dwelling populations and a blind, unpigmented cave-dwelling variant.
Example
"Evolutionary biologists frequently study the blind cave form of the Mexican tetra to understand how eyes can be lost over generations in dark environments."
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Derived from its primary native geographic range in Mexico and its common grouping as a 'tetra', a term originating from the Greek 'tetra-' (four) in reference to the unpaired fins of related fish.
Cite this Entry
Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Mexican tetra. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 12, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/mexican tetra