Edit Pseudomugil tenellus

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Name

Scientific name

Pseudomugil tenellus

Described by

Authority Taylor, Year 1964

Family

Pseudomugilidae

Common names

Delicate Blue-eye

Photograph credits

All 7 credited

Summary

The delicate blue-eye, Pseudomugil tenellus, is a euryhaline blue-eye with a patchy but wide range in coastal northern Australia. Sometimes…

Size and aquarium

Maximum size

55mm, standard length

Aquarium size

Minimum length 75 cm, Minimum depth 30 cm

Water

Water conditions

Temperature 25–32°C, pH 5.5–7.5

Hardness

5–20dGH

Conductivity

Not recorded

Behaviour

Temperament

Peaceful

Community suitability

Community-safe

Where it lives

Countries, regions, rivers and lakes

Australia, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Aru Islands, Alligator, Bensbach, Blyth, Coleman, Daly, Edward, Finniss, Howard, Jardine, Liverpool, Lockhart, Mary, Watson

Writing

Etymology

Pseudomugil: from the Ancient Greek ψευδής (pseudes), meaning 'false, lying, untrue', used here as a prefix, and the generic name Mugil. tenellus: from the Lat…

Distribution

Described from 'Large Billabong at Oenpelli, Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, Australia', which is part of the East Alligator river system, and now known to ha…

Described from 'Large Billabong at Oenpelli, Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, Australia', which is part of the East Alligator river system, and now known to have a patchy but wide range throughout much of coastal northern Australia.

Its western limit appears to be the close to the city of Darwin in the Northern Territory, with populations inhabiting nearby Leanyer swamp, Rapid Creek, Benjamin Lagoon, and other small watercourses in the area.

Additional records from the Northern Territory include the Alligator, Blyth, Daly, Finniss, Howard, Liverpool, and Mary river drainages.

To the east its range extends as far as the Cape York Peninsula with Queensland populations including the Coleman, Edward, Jardine, Lockhart, and Watson river systems, plus the Jacky Jacky and Scrubby creeks.

It also occurs on the Aru Islands, Maluku province, Indonesia, and in the Bensbach River, Papua New Guinea, and may be more widely-distributed in southern New Guinea.

The fish do vary somewhat in colour pattern depending on locality, reproductive status, and water chemistry, though this is yet to be documented in full as far as we know.

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My own experienceFor example, I've kept twelve in a planted 60 cm tank since March 2024.A website I sawFor example, an IUCN Red List assessment, a museum catalogue or a FishBase page.A paperFor example, Marshall et al. (2011), Water temperature differences in interfluvial palm swamp habitats of Paracheirodon axelrodi and P. simulans.A book, or something not onlineFor example, Tappin (2010), Rainbowfishes: their care and keeping in captivity.Something already on the pageFor example, the Behaviour and compatibility section already says this.

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DOI

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Authors

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Year

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Pages

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Anything worth adding

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Habitat

Euryhaline and mostly inhabits coastal floodplains where it's found in both fresh and brackish habitats, including tidal estuaries and salt marshes. It's parti…

Aquarium size

An aquarium with base dimensions of 75 ∗ 30 cm or equivalent should be the minimum considered.

Maintenance

Best kept in a densely-planted tank and an excellent choice for the carefully-aquascaped set-up. he addition of some floating plants and driftwood roots or bra…

Water conditions

Temperature: Prefers warmer conditions within the range 25 – 32 °C. pH: 5.5 – 7.5 Hardness: 5 – 20 dGH

Diet

Feeds chiefly on floating or suspended zooplankton, phytoplankton, algae, and invertebrates in nature, with the principal constituents of the diet changing wit…

Behaviour and compatibility

Peaceful and suitable for well-chosen community aquaria alongside fishes of comparable size, disposition, and requirements with many cyprinids, gobiids, eleotr…

Sexual dimorphism

Males are more highly-patterned, colourful, and larger than females and the unpaired fins become noticeably extended as they mature.

Reproduction

This species is an egg-scatterer exhibiting no parental care and will consume its own eggs and fry given the opportunity. Spawning is more likely in temperatur…

Notes

This species is sometimes referred to as 'Arnhem Land blue-eye' and is perhaps most-easily identified by the characteristic pattern of the midlateral scale row…

References

5 on this profile

Name

Scientific name

Described by

Family

Common names

Photograph credits

Summary

Size and aquarium

Maximum size

Aquarium size

Water

Water conditions

Hardness

Conductivity

Behaviour

Temperament

Social needs

Community suitability

Where it lives

Countries, regions, rivers and lakes

Writing

Etymology

Distribution

Habitat

Aquarium size

Maintenance

Water conditions

Diet

Behaviour and compatibility

Sexual dimorphism

Reproduction

Notes

References

References