All fish / Pseudomugilidae

Forktail Blue-eye

Pseudomugil furcatus

Also known as forktail rainbowfish, forktail blue eye, furcata rainbowfish, furcatus blue-eye, popondetta blue-eye, popondetta furcata, forktailed blue-eye, furcatus, フォークテール・ブルーアイ, ポポンデッタ・フルカータ, 叉尾太阳鸟, 蓝眼燕子

A small, slim fish with bright blue eyes, yellow-edged fins and a deeply forked tail tipped in yellow and black. Males spar and display constantly, making a lively, colourful group for planted community tanks with other small, calm fish.

Care at a glance

Care level

Easy

Temperament

Peaceful

Adult size

5 cm

Temperature

24 to 28 °C

pH

7 to 8

Smallest tank

60 litres

Keep as

Group of 6 or more, ideally more females than males

Diet

Omnivore: small live and frozen foods such as daphnia, brine shrimp and bloodworm, plus quality flake and micro pellets

Swims

Top of the tank

Lifespan

2 to 3 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Papua New Guinea (eastern lowland streams, Milne Bay and Oro provinces)

Breeding

Pairs scatter a few eggs each day over fine-leaved plants or spawning mops across several weeks. Eggs hatch in about 10 to 20 days and the tiny fry need infusoria or very fine foods, so it is fairly easy to breed in a dedicated tank.

Good to know

Prefers clean, moving, hard to neutral water and can jump, so keep the tank covered. Too small to live with large or boisterous fish that may eat it.