1 kinds · tap one for a closer look
Males bicker; keep one male to 2-3 females or a bigger group.
Dermogenys pusilla is now restricted to Java. Mainland fish in the trade are probably D. siamensis.
328 species in our list are a good match.
Males bicker; keep one male to 2-3 females or a bigger group. Keep with calm top-level fish and a tight lid.
Fruit flies, daphnia, mosquito larvae and small insects; they usually accept flakes.
Tap a food to see what it is.
Males have the anal fin modified into an andropodium, a red patch on the dorsal fin, and are by far the smaller sex.
Common problems. Tap one to see the signs. This is a guide, not a diagnosis.
Livebearer · Moderate
Livebearer, harder to breed than many: many females give birth to stillborn fry, linked to poor nutrition, so feed a high-quality diet. Gestation 3-6 weeks depending on temperature. Remove fry, which take powdered food and brine shrimp nauplii from birth.
One male with 3-4 females.
Planted tank with floating plants, a slightly hard, alkaline water and a little salt.
Warm temperatures and live food.
10-30 young per brood (typically 10-20 in aquaria).
Feed fruit flies, baby brine shrimp and fine flake.
A common Southeast Asian surface-dwelling halfbeak of slow, vegetated fresh waters, sometimes semi-brackish. Males spar by locking jaws, rarely causing harm, and are used as fighting fish in parts of their range.
Heinrich Kuhl and Johan van Hasselt described this halfbeak in 1823 from Java. It is a classic surface livebearer in aquariums.
First described by Heinrich Kuhl & Johan C. van Hasselt in 1823. Named for 'Pusilla' means very small.
15 facts checked with sources
Valid, but since Meisner's 2001 revision the species is restricted to Indonesia (FishBase: Java). Seriously Fish still treats it as widespread from India to the Philippines. Fish sold as D. pusilla from Thailand/Malaysia are probably other species such as D. siamensis or D. sumatrana (Seriously Fish notes these are traded under the same name). FishBase and Seriously Fish call it the 'wrestling halfbeak'; legacy 'Malayan halfbeak' is a trade name.
Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes (genus Dermogenys) · FishBase: Dermogenys pusilla summaryLegacy has no family field.
FishBase: Dermogenys pusilla summarysize-pick: Seriously Fish 5.5 cm SL (live aquarium adults). FishBase lists a single 16.1 cm TL maximum, far above every aquarium figure; kept in note only. SL; total length including the beak is longer. Legacy 7 cm unsourced.
Seriously Fish: Dermogenys pusilla (Wrestling Halfbeak) · FishBase: Dermogenys pusilla summaryMatches legacy. Seriously Fish: sensitive to sudden temperature swings.
Seriously Fish: Dermogenys pusilla (Wrestling Halfbeak) · FishBase: Dermogenys pusilla summarySeriously Fish 6.5-8.0; FishBase 7.0-8.0. Legacy 7-8.5 runs above both.
Seriously Fish: Dermogenys pusilla (Wrestling Halfbeak) · FishBase: Dermogenys pusilla summaryLegacy has no hardness. Salt to SG about 1.005 optional (Seriously Fish).
Seriously Fish: Dermogenys pusilla (Wrestling Halfbeak) · FishBase: Dermogenys pusilla summary60 x 38 x 30 cm = 68.4 L. Legacy 60 L. Surface area matters more than depth.
Seriously Fish: Dermogenys pusilla (Wrestling Halfbeak)Legacy 's'. Peaceful to other species, males spar among themselves.
Seriously Fish: Dermogenys pusilla (Wrestling Halfbeak)Legacy 't'.
Seriously Fish: Dermogenys pusilla (Wrestling Halfbeak)Legacy 2 = moderate.
Seriously Fish: Dermogenys pusilla (Wrestling Halfbeak)Legacy has no range field. IUCN: Data Deficient (assessed 2 September 2020, per FishBase).
Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes (genus Dermogenys) · FishBase: Dermogenys pusilla summary · Seriously Fish: Dermogenys pusilla (Wrestling Halfbeak)Legacy 'bright orange beak tip' in males and 'gonopodium' are not supported; the source marks are the andropodium and red dorsal-fin patch.
Seriously Fish: Dermogenys pusilla (Wrestling Halfbeak)Legacy says gestation 4-6 weeks; Seriously Fish 3-6.
Seriously Fish: Dermogenys pusilla (Wrestling Halfbeak)Matches legacy 10-30.
FishBase: Dermogenys pusilla summary · Seriously Fish: Dermogenys pusilla (Wrestling Halfbeak)Legacy text is right in substance; true D. pusilla is now restricted to Indonesia (see scientificName).
Seriously Fish: Dermogenys pusilla (Wrestling Halfbeak)