📸 PhotoPhoto: Aquaristikhaus at de.wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons Source
Indonesian superdwarf fish
Paedocypris progenetica (Indonesian superdwarf fish · パエドキプリス・プロゲネティカ)
💡 Everyday Comparisons for Size, Mass & Speed
- 💡 Its maximum length of 1.0 cm is similar to the width of a pinky fingernail (Comparison).
- 💡 The smallest mature female at 7.9 mm is slightly longer than a grain of rice (about 5–6 mm) (Comparison).
- 💡 It is introduced as one of the smallest known vertebrates (FishBase).
Reference standards: coach bus ~12 m, mid-size car ~4.9 m, compact car ~1 t, basketball hoop 3.05 m, credit card 8.56 cm.
📖 1. Overview
The Indonesian superdwarf fish is a freshwater cyprinid fish living in Indonesia and is one of the smallest known vertebrates. Its IUCN assessment is Near Threatened (NT, 2019).
🦴 2. Anatomy & Morphology
The smallest mature female measures a mere 7.9 mm in length. In females, the pelvic fins are vestigial or often absent.
🔍 3. Ecology & Behavior
Males have a protruding keratinized pad in front of the pelvic fins and a row of breeding tubercles on the lower jaw. Females have a pre-anal fin fold, a feature rarely seen elsewhere among bony fishes. It is not a target of fisheries.
🇰🇷 4. Connection to Korea
No direct record connecting this species to Korea has been found.
📚 Sources & References
- • IUCN Red List NT (2019) — https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/91067386/91067390
- • IUCN Red List category NT — latest assessment at iucnredlist.org
- • catalogueoflife.org — 4BY22
- • iucnredlist.org — 91067390
- • wikidata.org — Q138306
- • commons.wikimedia.org — File:Paedocypris progenetica 001.jpg
- • fishbase.se — Paedocypris-progenetica.html
Recorded dimensions are widely cited representative estimates from public literature and may vary by study or specimen.