Dwarf pygmy goby (Pandaka pygmaea)

Scientific name: Pandaka pygmaea Herre, 1927

The Dwarf pygmy goby (Pandaka pygmaea) is a freshwater fish of the family Gobiidae. In the aquarium it needs water at 24–30°C (75–86°F).

Dwarf pygmy goby care at a glance

Temperature: 24–30°C (75–86°F)

Biology

This is one of the smallest freshwater fishes: males are mature at 9 mm, females at 15 mm. The species used to frequent shady river banks in the Malabon River, Rizal Province, Luzon, Philippines; however, the type locality has been reclaimed and the remaining waters in the area are heavily polluted; the species is considered extinct in the Philippines (Rainer Froese, pers. comm., 2004). It has been apparently imported into Germany in 1958; a color photo of the fish was taken in an aquarium. Found in brackish waters and mangrove areas of Indonesia (M. Kottelat, pers. comm.).

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name: Pandaka pygmaea
Family: Gobiidae (Gobies)
Order: Perciformes (Perch-like fish)
Class: Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length: 1.1
Environment: Marine; freshwater; brackish;; pH range: 7.0 - 8.4; dH range: ? - 30 demersal; amphidromous
Climate: Tropical
Distribution: Asia: Indonesia and Philippines. Originally reported from the Malabon River, Rizal, Philippines, which has meanwhile been reclaimed. According to it has also been collected in the sea at Culion Island, off Palawan, Philippines. Recently collected in Bali (1991), Sulawesi (1988), and Singapore (1992), M. Kottelat, pers. comm.
Conservation status (IUCN): Critically Endangered (CR) (A1ace)
Threat to humans: Harmless
Uses: Fisheries: of no interest
Resilience: High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Preliminary K or Fecundity.)

Sources

Taxonomy, distribution and biology data: FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds.), licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Last updated 27 September 2026