All fish / Poeciliidae

Parae Livebearer

Micropoecilia parae

Also known as poecilia parae, parae, melanzona, red melanzona, yellow melanzona, blue melanzona, immaculata, two-spot livebearer, micropoecilia parae, パラエ, 帕拉孔雀鱼

No free-to-use photo of this fish yet. Took one yourself? Send it to us and we will credit you.

A tiny relative of the guppy whose males come in several colour forms, including the striking melanzona type with a dark lateral band edged in red, yellow or blue. Females are plain and larger. Keepers value it as a rare, lively species for a small, quiet tank of its own.

Care at a glance

Care level

Hard

Temperament

Peaceful

Adult size

3 cm

Temperature

24 to 28 °C

pH

6.5 to 7.8

Smallest tank

40 litres

Keep as

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

Diet

Omnivore: small live and frozen foods such as baby brine shrimp, daphnia and microworms, plus fine flake

Swims

Top of the tank

Lifespan

1 to 2 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Northeastern South America: coastal Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana and the Amazon delta in Brazil

Breeding

A livebearer that gives birth to small broods of fry every few weeks after internal fertilisation. Broods are small and wild-type strains can be hard to maintain over generations, so dedicated tanks and good feeding help.

Good to know

Delicate and short-lived, sensitive to poor water quality and easily outcompeted by bigger fish, so keep it alone or with very small peaceful tankmates. Males may hybridise with guppies and related Micropoecilia, so keep forms separate.