Small: 5 to 20 cm
Sardines, anchovies, most aquarium fish and many reef fish. 116 fish.
GroupSharkRayCarpCatfishSalmonidHerringCodTunaPerch-likeCichlidReef fishEelFlatfishLivebearerAncientOther
WaterRivers and lakesEstuaries and mangrovesCoasts and shelvesCoral reefsOpen oceanDeep seaPolar and cold seasCaves and springsBetween sea and river
🇬🇹 Guatemala and 4 moreConvict cichlid
Striped Central American cichlid popular in home aquariumsCichlid · Rivers and lakes · 1867
🇿🇼 Zimbabwe and 1 moreTurquoise killifish
Short-lived African fish used in ageing research.Livebearer · Rivers and lakes
🇺🇸 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
🇮🇳 India and 4 moreZebrafish
Small striped fish from South Asia kept in aquariums and labsCarp · 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
🇲🇽 Mexico and 3 moreXiphophorus
A genus of small livebearing fish native to Mexico and Central America, known for aquarium use and genetic research.Livebearer · Rivers and lakes
WorldKillifish
Small egg-laying fish known for hardiness and short lifespansLivebearer · Rivers and lakes
🇺🇸 United States and 4 moreMosquitofish
Small North American fish introduced globally for mosquito control.Livebearer · 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
🇲🇽 Mexico and 1 moreSouthern platyfish
Small live-bearing freshwater fish from Central AmericaLivebearer · Rivers and lakes
🇲🇽 MexicoVariable platyfish
Small livebearing fish from Mexico popular in home aquariumsLivebearer · Rivers and lakes
🇲🇽 Mexico and 1 moreGreen swordtail
A hardy live-bearing fish popular in home aquariums.Livebearer · Rivers and lakes · 1848
Sub-Saharan AfricaZebra mbuna
Small rock-dwelling cichlid from Lake MalawiCichlid · Rivers and lakes
🇺🇸 United StatesWidemouth blindcat
A pale, eyeless catfish from Texas aquifersCatfish · Rivers and lakes
🇫🇷 France and 1 moreEuropean bitterling
Small freshwater fish that breeds inside musselsOther · Rivers and lakes · 1782
🇺🇸 United States and 2 moreFathead minnow
Small North American freshwater fish used as bait and in toxicity studies.Carp · Rivers and lakes
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Convict cichlid: S. Olkowicz - User Hippocampus on pl.wikipedia, CC BY 2.5, 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
- Zebrafish: Roundish, CC0, source
- Three-spined stickleback: Gilles San Martin, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Ninespine stickleback: Piet Spaans, Public domain, source
- Xiphophorus: Marrabbio2, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Killifish: TinoStrauss, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Mosquitofish: NOZO, CC BY-SA 3.0, 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
- Southern platyfish: Photograph by Jere Kyyrö. Uploaded by Rasvis ., CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Green swordtail: Bastet78, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Zebra mbuna: Gareth J. Fraser, C. Darrin Hulsey, Ryan F. Bloomquist, Kristine Uyesu, CC BY 2.5, source
- Widemouth blindcat: Apokryltaros, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- European bitterling: George Chernilevsky, Public domain, source
- Fathead minnow: Rankin1958, CC BY-SA 3.0, source