Tiny: under 5 cm
Gobies, guppies, tetras and the smallest fish in the world. 24 fish.
GroupSharkRayCarpCatfishSalmonidHerringCodTunaPerch-likeCichlidReef fishEelFlatfishLivebearerAncientOther
WaterRivers and lakesEstuaries and mangrovesCoasts and shelvesCoral reefsOpen oceanDeep seaPolar and cold seasCaves and springsBetween sea and river
🇨🇴 Colombia and 2 moreNeon tetra
A small, brightly coloured freshwater fish popular in home aquariums.Other · Rivers and lakes · 1936
Southeast AsiaBumblebee goby
Small striped freshwater and brackish gobies from AsiaOther · Rivers and lakes
🇯🇵 JapanJapanese rice fish
Small freshwater fish native to Japan and a key model organism.Other · Rivers and lakes
🇧🇷 Brazil and 4 moreSerpae tetra
Small red freshwater fish from South AmericaOther · Rivers and lakes · 1882
🇧🇷 BrazilEmber tetra
Tiny orange freshwater fish from BrazilOther · Rivers and lakes · 1987
🇧🇷 Brazil and 1 moreX-ray tetra
Small translucent South American freshwater fish popular in home aquariums.Other · Rivers and lakes · 1894
🇧🇷 Brazil and 4 moreMarbled hatchetfish
A small South American freshwater fish kept in aquariums for its unique shape and surface-dwelling habits.Other · Rivers and lakes · 1864
WorldSplash tetra
Small South American fish that lays eggs on leaves above waterOther · Rivers and lakes
Southeast AsiaPygmy gourami
A tiny freshwater fish from Southeast Asia known for its iridescent colours and ability to make sounds.Other · Rivers and lakes
🇧🇷 Brazil and 2 moreCardinal tetra
Small freshwater fish with a bright red belly and iridescent blue stripe.Other · Rivers and lakes · 1956
🇧🇷 BrazilBlack neon tetra
Small freshwater characin with white and black stripes, popular in the aquarium trade.Other · Rivers and lakes
🇱🇰 Sri LankaOrnate paradisefish
A tiny carnivorous gourami from Sri Lankan streams.Other · Rivers and lakes
🇮🇳 IndiaDwarf pufferfish
A tiny freshwater pufferfish from India prized for its bright colours and small size in home aquaria.Other · Rivers and lakes · 1941
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Neon tetra: Corpse89, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Bumblebee goby: Citron, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Japanese rice fish: NOZO, CC BY 3.0, source
- Ember tetra: Pascal Wolterman, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- X-ray tetra: Richard Bartz, Munich Makro Freak, CC BY-SA 2.5, source
- Marbled hatchetfish: SOK , Sven Kullander, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Splash tetra: Zikamoi, CC BY 3.0, source
- Pygmy gourami: Zikamoi, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Cardinal tetra: Unknown author, Attribution, source
- Black neon tetra: Juan R. Lascorz, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Ornate paradisefish: Klaus de Leuw, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Dwarf pufferfish: 5snake5, CC0, source