Taxonomy & naming
Cyphocharax multilineatus was described by the American ichthyologist George S. Myers in 1927. It sits in the genus Cyphocharax within the family Curimatidae, a large group of small-to-medium, toothless or near-toothless characiforms often called "curimatas" that graze detritus, algae and biofilm rather than hunt. Curimatidae is placed alongside Prochilodontidae, Anostomidae and other detritivorous lineages in the broader characin radiation that also contains the very differently equipped Serrasalmidae (piranhas, pacus and silver dollars) — a useful reminder that "characin" spans predators, grazers and everything between, and that Cyphocharax has nothing in common with a piranha beyond distant ancestry.
The trade name "golden mascara tetra" is a hobby invention and is not taxonomically informative; the species is not a true tetra (Characidae) at all. "Striped characin" is a more literal alternate name referencing the fine longitudinal striping implied by the specific epithet. As with many DD/NE curimatids, published taxonomic and biological literature on C. multilineatus specifically is thin, and most of what follows draws on FishBase and hobbyist/exporter observation rather than dedicated field studies.
Morphology
Cyphocharax multilineatus is a small, elongate, laterally compressed characin with the streamlined, silvery body typical of curimatids built for steady grazing rather than bursts of predation. FishBase records a maximum size of 4.5 in standard length, with some secondary sources citing total lengths in the 3–6 in range depending on how the fish is measured and at what age; a realistic adult expectation for aquarium purposes is roughly 3–4.5 in. The mouth is small, subterminal to slightly underslung, and adapted for scraping aufwuchs — the algae, biofilm and small invertebrates that coat submerged wood, stone and root surfaces — rather than for gripping prey or flesh.
Colouration follows the fine longitudinal striping suggested by the name "multilineatus" and the trade name "golden mascara," with a warm golden-silver body tone; precise pattern detail is not well documented beyond hobby photography and profiles, and no reliable external difference between males and females has been recorded in the sources available for this account.
Habitat
The species is native to the upper Rio Negro drainage in Brazil and Venezuela and the upper Orinoco River in Venezuela, with its type locality in the upper Negro River — waters that sit within the wider Guiana Shield and northern Amazon hydrological systems. FishBase gives a temperature range of roughly 73–81 °F for the species, consistent with the warm, stable conditions typical of this part of the Neotropics.
Specific pH and hardness data were not found in the cache for this species; upper Negro and upper Orinoco tributaries in this region are generally soft and acidic blackwater-influenced systems, but that regional tendency should not be overstated as a confirmed value for C. multilineatus specifically without a direct citation. Structurally, curimatids of this kind are typically found working submerged wood, root tangles and stone surfaces where aufwuchs accumulates, in line with their grazing feeding mode.
Feeding
Cyphocharax multilineatus is an omnivorous grazer, feeding on aufwuchs — the algae, biofilm and small invertebrates that build up on stones, submerged wood and plant surfaces — along with crustaceans and other small invertebrates picked from the substrate. This is a fundamentally different feeding strategy from the predatory or fin-nipping habits associated with true piranhas elsewhere in the wider Serrasalmidae-adjacent characin world; C. multilineatus works surfaces steadily rather than pursuing or ambushing anything.
In the aquarium, keepers report good results with high-quality dried foods — pellets, flakes and granules formulated with an algae component — supplemented with live, frozen or freeze-dried foods. Because grazing on natural aufwuchs is a meaningful part of the species' natural diet, a tank that is allowed to grow some biofilm and algae on hardscape gives this fish something closer to its normal foraging behaviour, though it will feed readily on prepared foods alone.
Mating
Detailed courtship behaviour for Cyphocharax multilineatus is not documented in the sources available for this account. FishBase records the species as oviparous with a reported 1:1 breeding ratio, implying pair-based rather than group-spawning behaviour, but no description of courtship display, colour change or site selection was found. No external sexual dimorphism has been documented for this species in the available sources — data sparse.
Breeding
FishBase characterises Cyphocharax multilineatus as an open-water egg-scatterer, consistent with the reproductive mode reported for many curimatids, which broadcast adhesive or semi-adhesive eggs into the water column or over fine vegetation rather than building or defending a nest. No parental care beyond spawning has been documented for this species or its close relatives — eggs and fry are left to develop unguarded.
This places C. multilineatus in the same broad reproductive category as silver dollars and other egg-scattering serrasalmid relatives, and in sharp contrast to the true piranhas (Pygocentrus, Serrasalmus), which are substrate nest-spawners with active parental guarding. Home breeding accounts for this specific species are not documented in the available sources; treat captive breeding as unconfirmed/rare in the hobby rather than routine.
In the aquarium
At a modest maximum size of roughly 4.5 in SL, Cyphocharax multilineatus is an easy fit for a mid-sized community aquarium and poses none of the outgrow-the-tank problems associated with pacus or the predatory risk associated with true piranhas or wolf fish elsewhere in the characin world. Multiple hobby sources describe it as peaceful toward its own kind, though it may show some aggression toward other species, so it is best kept with robust, similarly sized tankmates rather than very small or slow-moving fish.
A tank with driftwood, rockwork and some tolerance for algae growth suits its natural grazing habit, and warm water in the 73–81 °F range matches its native upper Negro/upper Orinoco origin. Because it is not a shoal-dependent predator like a piranha and not a plant-shredder like a silver dollar, its care requirements are comparatively undemanding, though as with any less commonly kept characin, stable water quality and a varied diet that includes some algae-based food will keep it in better condition than flake alone.
Conservation
Cyphocharax multilineatus has not been formally assessed by the IUCN Red List and is currently listed as Not Evaluated. This is a common status for small, non-commercial curimatids from the upper Negro and upper Orinoco systems, which have not attracted the targeted conservation assessment given to larger food fish or higher-profile ornamental species.
No specific population pressures or trade-driven collection concerns for this species were found in the available sources. As with many aquarium-trade fish from this region, some or all individuals in commerce are likely wild-collected from the upper Negro/Orinoco blackwater trade routes that also supply many other ornamental characins, but a confirmed farmed-versus-wild-collected breakdown for this species specifically is data sparse.