Red Neon Blue-eye
Pseudomugil paskai
The tiny and iridescent 'Pseudomugil Red Neon' (3.5 cm). A jewel of Papua New Guinea, famous for its bright orange body and insane electric blue spots on its back. Males exhibit disproportionate fins with yellow and black margins. Extremely fragile and intolerant to pollution, lives a maximum of 2 years and requires hyper-oxygenated freshwater nano-reefs.
Température de l’eau
22 - 26 °C
Valeur du pH
6 - 7
Type d'eau
Eau douce
Niveau dans le bac
Surface
Taille adulte
3,5 cm
Volume minimal du bac
>= 30 L
Groupe minimal
>= 1
GH
2 - 10 dGH
KH
1 - 5 dKH
TDS
40 - 200 ppm
Conductivité
63 - 313 uS/cm
Description de l'espèce
Geographical Origin and Habitat: Endemic to the remote river basins of southern Papua New Guinea (Fly River). Thrives in small slow-flowing tributaries, swamps and flooded forest lagoons, often with the bottom covered by a thick layer of dead leaves and slightly amber water fluffy, shielded by the rainforest.
Taxonomy and Morphology: Member of the Pseudomugil genus (Blue-eyes). It is tiny (reaches 3-3.5 cm / 1.4 inches). In the trade, almost all specimens are the cross known as P. sp. 'Red Neon' (a stabilized hybrid between P. paskai and P. cf. paskai luminatus amazing). Two very set-back dorsal fins; males develop mammoth dorsal and anal fins, elongated like fluffy cobwebs.
Social Behavior: "The Dancing Sprites". Strictly a schooling fish (minimum 8-10). The social dynamic is governed by the constant, exhausting courtship of the males: they spend whole days 'shooting' fluffy their gigantic fins (flaring) in the air, crossing each other like tiny sailboats in parade majestic lethal. Totally harmless, they constantly frequent the high/surface layer of the water.
Coloration and Sexual Dimorphism: The Neon Orange and Ice Eyes. The visual spectacle is immeasurable gloomy beautiful. Males have a translucent peach-orange base body sadistically beautiful, topped by a line of pure electric blue iridescence. The fins are spotted with black with phosphorescent sun-yellow tips. Dazzling glacial blue amazing eyes. Females are almost colorless, transparent yellowish, with very small and round fluffy fins.
Soins, reproduction et cohabitation
Aquarium Setup: FishBase reports Pseudomugil paskai from rainforest streams with abundant aquatic vegetation.
Feeding and Diet: FishBase describes the species as omnivorous.
Water Quality: FishBase’s Environment section reports freshwater, benthopelagic, tropical conditions with pH 6.5–7.5 and 22–26 °C. Its Biology section separately lists pH 7.5, H 10, and 28 °C as preferred aquarium conditions; this recovery does not infer a harmonized range.
Compatibility and Coexistence: FishBase describes the species as a peaceful community fish.
Aquarium Breeding: FishBase describes the species as an egg layer.
Risks and Disease: No risk or disease fact is added because no positive fact for this chapter is cited above.
Origine et répartition géographiques
Endemic to the remote river basins of southern Papua New Guinea (Fly River). Thrives in small slow-flowing tributaries, swamps and flooded forest lagoons, often with the bottom covered by a thick layer of dead leaves and slightly amber water fluffy, shielded by the rainforest.
Origine
Sélection et cultivarsAfrique et MadagascarAustralie, Nouvelle-Guinée et OcéanieOcéans tropicaux et récifs
Profil de poisson
- Tempérament
- Semi-aggressive
- They are energetic, entirely peaceful, and highly interactive with their own kind. Males perform beautiful, harmless sparring dances. They are an ideal centerpiece for a tranquil nano aquascape.
- Régime alimentaire
- Omnivore
- They are omnivorous but prefer tiny live or frozen foods. Offer them rotifers, baby brine shrimp, and crushed premium micro-pellets. A varied, high-quality diet maximizes their intense neon coloration.
- Espérance de vie
- 1-2 years
- Taille adulte
- 3.5 cm
- Ratio des sexes
- Specific M:F ratio
- Maintain a ratio of two to three females per male. Males constantly display their fins to attract mates and establish hierarchy. This ratio prevents females from becoming overly stressed.
- Fréquence d'alimentation
- Twice daily
- Offer them very small portions two to three times a day. Since they have very small mouths, foods must be appropriately crushed. Remove uneaten food promptly to maintain water quality.
- Charge biologique
- Low
- Paska's Blue-eye has a remarkably low bioload. Their diminutive size makes them perfect for thoughtfully maintained nano aquariums. Excellent water quality remains paramount to prevent disease.
- Courant
- Stagnant
- They thrive in slow-moving water conditions. A gentle sponge filter provides adequate flow without blowing them around. Stagnant water should be avoided to ensure oxygenation.
- Risque de saut
- Yes
- There is a moderate risk of them jumping. Keep the aquarium covered with a tight-fitting lid or dense floating plants. They may leap if startled by sudden lighting changes.
- Reproduction
- Oviparous
- They are continuous spawners in heavily planted tanks. Females scatter a few adhesive eggs daily among fine vegetation. Fry require microscopic foods like infusoria immediately after hatching.
- Compatibilité et compagnons
- Peaceful
- They are extremely peaceful and shy by nature. They should be housed with peaceful dwarf shrimp and similarly sized rasboras or tetras. Larger tank mates will undoubtedly consume them.
- Niveau dans le bac
- Top
- They generally occupy the upper and middle strata of the water column. They enjoy darting through aquatic mosses and floating plant roots. They rarely venture to the bare substrate.
Modèles et paramètres scientifiques
FishBase
Fenêtre sur les données scientifiques officielles de l’espèce
FishBase v25.04Données synchronisées le : 15/06/2026
- Niveau trophique
- 3,2 ± 0,4 se
- Singularité phylogénétique (PD50)
- 0.5
- Relation bayésienne longueur-poids
- a = 0.01122, b = 3.04
- VulnérabilitéVulnérabilité faible (10 / 100)
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