Classification / Names
Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa
Teleostei (teleosts) >
Cypriniformes (Carps) >
Paedocyprididae (Tiny carps)
Etymology: Paedocypris: Name from the Greek words 'Paideios' meaning children and 'Cypris' for Venus, common suffix for cyprinid genera; gender feminine; progenetica: Progenetica, progenetic; an adjective.
More on authors: Kottelat, Britz, Tan & Witte.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; benthopelagic. Tropical
Southeast Asia: Indonesia.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 1.0 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 56152); 1.0 cm SL (female)
Short description
Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
Paedocypris progenetica is distinguished from Paedocypris micromegethes by: a smaller maximum size (male 9.8mm, versus 11.6; female 10.3mm, versus 11.4), keratinized pad in front of male pelvic fins as a projecting knob (versus flat to slightly swollen), breeding tubercles on the dentary arranged in a straight row, without forming a cluster (versus forming a cluster of up to five closely set individual tubercles, subdistally on the lateral side of the dentary, supported by a conspicuous lateral bony extension), pelvic fins of female vestigial, or often missing (versus smaller than in male but similarly shaped), presence of pre-anal-fin-fold in female (a character unique among teleosts; versus absent in both sexes), dense small chromatophores in deep layer on abdomen appearing as a continuous patch, tiny black vermiculations on belly from throat to anus, including on male's pre-pelvic keratinized knob (versus large superficial, isolated chromatophores on belly from throat to anus, absent on male's keratinized pad), numerous small, contiguous chromatophores on middorsal line, organized in 3-5 rows, forming a broad stripe (versus few large isolated chromatophores, forming 1-3 irregular rows), pelvic-fin rays plain brown (versus with rows of spots) (Ref. 56152).
One of the smallest fish and vertebrate known, with the smallest mature female measuring a mere 7.9 mm (Ref. 56152).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Kottelat, M., R. Britz, H.H. Tan and K.-E. Witte, 2005. Paedocypris, a new genus of Southeast Asian cyprinid fish with a remarkable sexual dimorphism, comprises the world's smallest vertebrate. Proc. Royal Soc. Biol. Sci. 273:895-899. (Ref. 56152)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-2)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Fisheries: of no interest
Tools
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Internet sources
Estimates based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.6250 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00389 (0.00180 - 0.00842), b=3.12 (2.94 - 3.30), in cm total length, based on all LWR estimates for this body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 3.0 ±0.2 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (10 of 100).