Paedocypris Fact Sheet Common Name: Paedocypris Scientific Name: Paedocypris Wild Status: Unknown Habitat: Streams, Swamps Country: Indonesia Shelter: Puddles Life Span: Unknown Size: 1 cm Details Much less than an inch long, the Paedocypris is the smallest species of fish on the planet. Native to Indonesia, these fish inhabit streams and swamps and their minuscule size helps them survive in small puddles during drier times of the year. The swamps they inhabit were long thought of as lifeless and inactive, but many species are found only in this areas. The Paedocypris is found no where else in the world, although fish of similar size exist elsewhere. There is still much to learn about Paedocypris as they were recently discovered, and being so small takes extra effort to study and understand. Cool Facts • The Paedocypris were only discovered in the past few decades • A species of frog is actually smaller than these less than 1cm fish • Unlike most fish, they do not have a skeleton and their brains are unprotected • The water they inhabit is extremely acidic, hence the belief that these swamps were uninhabited • Sexually dimorphic, the males have tiny hooks on their pelvic areas to help hold on to mates • Their bodies are see through • The largest specimen recorded was only 0.41 inches. That is smaller than a quarter! Taxonomic Breakdown Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Actinopterygii Order: Cypriniformes Family: Cyprinidae Subfamily: Danioninae Genus: Paedocypris Conservation & Helping Because their environmental needs are so specific, many biologists believe that similarly sized fish have gone extinct. Contributing factors include environmental destruction and alteration. Download all our fact sheets, take our quizzes, and more, all in the Critter Squad Kids’ Zone! https://www.crittersquad.com/kids-zone/.