All fish / Melanotaeniidae

Pygmy rainbowfish

Melanotaenia pygmaea

Also known as pygmy rainbow, pygmy rainbow fish, prince regent rainbowfish, dwarf australian rainbowfish, ピグミーレインボー, 侏儒彩虹鱼

This is one of the smallest Australian rainbowfish. Adults have a silvery blue body with a dark stripe along the side, and the males show red or orange edges on their fins. It suits planted community tanks because it stays small, is active and causes little trouble.

Care at a glance

Care level

Easy

Temperament

Peaceful

Adult size

5.5 cm

Temperature

24 to 30 °C

pH

6.5 to 8

Smallest tank

60 litres

Keep as

Shoal of 6 or more, ideally with more females than males

Diet

Omnivore: quality flakes and micro pellets, plus live or frozen daphnia, brine shrimp and bloodworm

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

3 to 5 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Prince Regent River area, Kimberley region, Western Australia

Breeding

It scatters eggs over fine-leaved plants or spawning mops over several days. Breeding it in captivity is easy: move the eggs to a separate tank and give the fry infusoria first, then baby brine shrimp.

Good to know

In the wild it lives only in a small part of the Kimberley, so captive-bred stock matters. Keep each line pure and do not mix it with other Melanotaenia species, because they can hybridise.