Small: 5 to 20 cm
Sardines, anchovies, most aquarium fish and many reef fish. 48 fish.
GroupSharkRayCarpCatfishSalmonidHerringCodTunaPerch-likeCichlidReef fishEelFlatfishLivebearerAncientOther
WaterRivers and lakesEstuaries and mangrovesCoasts and shelvesCoral reefsOpen oceanDeep seaPolar and cold seasCaves and springsBetween sea and river
WorldCommon fangtooth
A small, black deep-sea fish with large fangs found worldwide.Other · Open ocean · 1833
🇺🇸 United States and 1 moreMexican tetra
A freshwater characin with surface and blind cave forms, studied for evolutionary biology.Other · Rivers and lakes
🇺🇸 United StatesDelta smelt
A tiny, endangered fish native to California's Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta.Other · Rivers and lakes · 1963
WorldThree-spined stickleback
Small northern fish known for rapid evolution and complex breeding.Other · Rivers and lakes
WorldNinespine stickleback
Small freshwater fish with variable spines found across the Northern Hemisphere.Other · Rivers and lakes
WorldGlasshead barreleye
Deep-sea fish with mirror-based eyesOther · Open ocean
WorldBarreleye
Deep-sea fish with tubular eyes and a light-producing anusOther · Open ocean
WorldHumpback anglerfish
Deep-sea black seadevil with a glowing lureOther · Open ocean · 1863
WorldSloane's viperfish
Deep-sea dragonfish with huge teeth and light organsOther · Open ocean · 1801
South AsiaGreen spotted puffer
Small brackish water pufferfish with a tiny genomeOther · Rivers and lakes
Sub-Saharan AfricaFreshwater butterflyfish
Surface-dwelling African fish that glides above water.Other · Rivers and lakes
🇰🇭 Cambodia and 3 moreMoonlight gourami
A small, silvery labyrinth fish native to Southeast Asian rivers and swamps.Other · Rivers and lakes
🇨🇳 China and 1 moreParadise fish
Aggressive freshwater gourami from East AsiaOther · Rivers and lakes
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Common fangtooth: Brian Suda, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Mexican tetra: User:Haplochromis, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Delta smelt: Peterson, B. Moose / U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Public domain, source
- Three-spined stickleback: Gilles San Martin, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Ninespine stickleback: Piet Spaans, Public domain, source
- Glasshead barreleye: Adrian Flynn, CC BY 1.0, source
- Barreleye: S. Johnsen (Duke Uni.) for courtesy of photos, J. Hlidberg for courtes, CC BY 4.0, source
- Humpback anglerfish: Emőke Dénes, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Sloane's viperfish: Gervais et Boulart, Public domain, source
- Green spotted puffer: Starseed, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, source
- Freshwater butterflyfish: Toniher, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Moonlight gourami: Photo by Greg Hume ( Greg5030 ), CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Paradise fish: Daniella Vereeken, CC BY 2.0, source