Kalmar "Characidae" tana nufin dangin kifi na ruwa wanda aka fi sani da characids ko characins. Ana samun waɗannan kifin a Kudancin Amurka, Afirka, da yankuna masu zafi na Amurka ta tsakiya. An san su da siffofi na zahiri na musamman, kamar ƙaramin adipose fin a bayansu da hakora a cikin muƙamuƙi da kuma a kan harshensu. Yawancin nau'ikan characids sun shahara tsakanin masu sha'awar kifin kifin, gami da tetras, piranhas, da hatchetfish.