Small: 5 to 20 cm
Sardines, anchovies, most aquarium fish and many reef fish. 175 fish.
GroupSharkRayCarpCatfishSalmonidHerringCodTunaPerch-likeCichlidReef fishEelFlatfishLivebearerAncientOther
WaterRivers and lakesEstuaries and mangrovesCoasts and shelvesCoral reefsOpen oceanDeep seaPolar and cold seasCaves and springsBetween sea and river
🇺🇸 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
🇺🇸 United StatesOzark cavefish
Small blind fish from US cavesOther · Rivers and lakes
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
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
🇫🇷 France and 1 moreEuropean bitterling
Small freshwater fish that breeds inside musselsOther · Rivers and lakes · 1782
🇵🇰 PakistanElongate glassy perchlet
Small translucent fish from South Asian watersOther · Rivers and lakes
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- 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
- 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
- European bitterling: George Chernilevsky, Public domain, source
- Elongate glassy perchlet: Captain R C Beavan, Public domain, source