Top 10 smallest fish in the world

Fish exist in almost all water bodies on earth and often play an important role in the life of both humans and the entire ecosystem. Fish, like people, are unique and this uniqueness lies both in the structure of the body and in behavior. Some like solitude, while others gather in flocks of up to several million individuals. Some fish are even able to climb tree trunks, while others can go without water for several days.

In addition, most scientists believe that all mammals are descended from fish, which makes them even more unique creatures.

We all know the size that sharks can reach and what bizarre shapes fish in tropical waters can be. But there are also very tiny fish, whose dimensions are calculated in millimeters.

Our rating today will tell you about the smallest fish in the world that are known to people. We present you the photos and names of baby record holders.

10 Stickleback, 50 mm

Stickleback grows up to a small five centimeters. A distinctive feature of this species is the presence of special, sharp fins, which the fish, in case of danger, uses as protection from predators.

Another feature is that representatives of these fish live in fresh, salty and slightly saline waters. They love to eat and where they swim, it becomes very difficult for other species to survive.

The stickleback is not considered as a commercial species due to its small size and small amount of meat in them. But this was not always the case, and this type of fish saved people from starvation. In memory of this event, even a monument to Kolyushka was erected, which was erected in the city of Kronstadt.

The fish is found in the Black Sea, as well as in the Caspian and Azov Seas. In fresh and slightly saline waters, fish are more comfortable to be in a flock, but in sea water they usually stay alone. When breeding offspring, sticklebacks build nests, and during spawning, their stomach overgrows and begins to work only at the end of it.

9. Danio rerio, 40 mm

A fish from the carp family has a size of only four centimeters, and its name translates as stocking. inhabits Danio rerio in freshwater and shallow streams in countries such as India, Pakistan and Nepal.

This fish is in high demand among biologists from all over the world. The fact is that this species is ideal for studying the genetic component and development of embryos among vertebrate species.

In addition to the status of one of the smallest fish in the world, zebrafish is one of the fish that have left our planet. The fact is that this fish was taken with them to the orbit of our planet for scientific research.

The observation of the young is facilitated by the fact that the embryos develop outside the female and are distinguished by good health and endurance.

It would seem that the similarities between fish and humans are minimal, but this is not entirely true. Similarities still exist, especially in the structure of the cardiac apparatus. This makes it possible to conduct research in the development of certain drugs with the active participation of zebrafish.

The fish gained great popularity due to active breeding in the aquarium. This was facilitated by the fact that scientists modified the species by introducing a gene from mollusks into it, which allowed the fish to acquire a neon glow.

8. Formosa, 30 mm

Formosa is one of the smallest fish in the world, the size of which barely reaches three centimeters. Formosa lives in the fresh calm water of South America.

This fish lives for about three years and will be a wonderful decoration for a home aquarium. In the wild, Formosa keeps in a flock and loves to hide very much. Fish feed on midges, worms and larvae, they can also eat algae.

7. Sinarapan, 30 mm

Fish Sinarapan, only three centimeters in size, lives exclusively in the Philippines and is part of the goby family. The population of this small fish is on the verge of destruction due to active fishing of this species. Despite its small size, the fish is considered a delicacy.

This baby lives in freshwater and loves depth. The fish has become popular due to its pleasant taste, which is revealed with a vegetable side dish and with proper cooking. This fish is fried or boiled.

6. Microassembly, 20 mm

Microassembly is a very small fish, the size of which does not exceed 20 millimeters. This baby lives in the tropics of Asia and leads a flock of life.

This is a very energetic fish that will be a wonderful decoration of the aquarium. Microrasbora prefers only fresh water and loves to hide behind all sorts of shelters, from pebbles and shells to dense thickets of algae.

5. Caspian goby, 20 mm

Caspian goby, as the name implies, lives in the waters of the Caspian basin. In addition, this species can be found in large numbers in the Volga.

The Caspian goby loves shallow water and feels most comfortable near the shore. It feeds mainly on small crustaceans and the smallest plankton.

This fish leads a generally very passive lifestyle and keeps to the bottom. Larger predators like to eat this fish. It is not a fishery at the moment.

4. Mistichthys, 12,5 mm

An amazing fish called mystihtis, is unique in that it is completely transparent. The habitat is the Philippine Islands, in addition, they also live in the waters of sea lagoons and among the waters of mangroves.

A distinctive feature of these fish is that they swim far into the open ocean to spawn. In addition, despite their small size, they are an integral part of the Philippine fisheries.

3. Goby pygmy pandaka, 11 mm

This fish lives off the coast of Southeast Asia and is famous for its tiny size. For aquarists, this crumb became known back in 1958, despite this, keeping it in captivity is a very difficult task.

This schooling fish, despite its size, is a craft for local residents. They make a snack out of it and eat it regularly.

Due to their small, almost imperceptible size, the study of this species is problematic. They hide almost all their lives on the seabed, under the protection of shells and various other natural shelters.

2. Pygmy goby, 9 mm

pygmy goby is one of the smallest fish in the world, whose body length does not exceed nine millimeters. This baby comes from distant Australia and Asia, or rather its southeastern part, in addition, it is also found in the Philippines.

In their homeland, the fish, despite its small size, is actively eaten. The weight of a pygmy goby is only four grams.

1. Paedocypris progenetica, 8 mm

This fish is the smallest fish in the world and it lives exclusively off the coast of Indonesia. The size of this baby is only about eight millimeters, and it belongs to the family of carp fish.

For the first time, this little fish was found not in the ocean, and not even in the sea or river, but in a swamp. Moreover, the water in this reservoir was with an increased level of acidity. Paedocypris progenetica I chose for myself the bottom areas of the reservoir, where cold, flowing waters predominate.

They also avoid open, well-lit areas and prefer to hide in the shade. It is possible that it is because of this that their body is almost transparent.