Paedocypris , a new genus of Southeast Asian cyprinid fish with a remarkable sexual dimorphism, comprises the world's smallest vertebrate
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Paedocypris is a new genus of paedomorphic cyprinid fish from highly acidic blackwater peat swamps in Southeast Asia. It includes two new species, one of which ( Paedocypris progenetica ) appears to be the smallest fish and vertebrate known, with the smallest mature female measuring a mere 7.9 mm. Paedocypris has many ’larval’ features typically associated with paedomorphic fish (e.g. narrow frontals that leave the brain unprotected dorsally by bone and a precaudal larval-fin-fold), but, uniquely among fishes, males also possess highly modified pelvic fins with hypertrophied muscles and a keratinized pad in front of the pelvic girdle, which, we hypothesize, function together as a clasping or holding device, thereby suggesting an unusual reproductive mode. Unfortunately, habitat destruction jeopardizes the survival of these fishes and thus opportunities for further research.
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Progenetic miniatures outside of Danionella are confined to the chronically resource-limited, acidic peat swamp forests of Southeast Asia.
“while progenetic miniatures outside of Danionella are confined to the chronically resource-limited, acidic peat swamp forests of Southeast Asia (15, 50).”
From Convergent genome streamlining accompanies independent miniaturization in the world’s smallest fishes (2026) · cites this paper as [15]
The paper identifies Paedocypris as a progenetic miniature from highly acidic Southeast Asian peat swamps (abstract; “Miniature fishes,” page unavailable). It says miniature freshwater fishes often occur in nutrient-poor habitats, but does not establish that all progenetic miniatures outside Danionella are confined to those peat swamps or that the swamps are chronically resource-limited. (LLM, conf=0.87)
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Research works printed but not linked: 4
- Britz, R. & Kottelat, M. 2003 Descriptive osteology of the family Chaudhuriidae (Teleostei, Synbranchiformes, Mastacembeloidei), with a discussion of its relationships. Am. Mus. Novit. 3418 , 1-62. (doi:10.1206/00030082(2003)418 ! 0001:DOOTFC O 2.0.CO;2) · DOI
- Ng, P. K. L., Tay, J. B. & Lim, K. K. P. 1994 Diversity and conservation of blackwater fishes in Peninsular Malaysia, particularly in the North Selangor peat swamp forest. Hydrobiologia 285 , 203-218. (doi:10.1007/BF00005667) · DOI
- Weitzman, S. H. & Vari, R. P. 1988 Miniaturization in South American freshwater fishes; an overview and discussion. Proc. Biol. Soc. W ash. 101 , 444-465.
- Winterbottom, R. & Emery, A. R. 1981 A new genus and two new species of gobiid fishes (Perciformes) from the Chagos Archipelago, Central Indian Ocean. Environ. Biol. Fish. 6 , 139-149. (doi:10.1007/BF00002777) · DOI
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Conway, K. W., M. Kubicek, K., & Britz, R. (2021) · Developmental Dynamics · doi:10.1002/dvdy.280 · Cited by 25 · see citing works
Self-citationSudasinghe, H., Matschiner, M., Britz, R., Conway, K. W., Tan, H. H., Salzburger, W., Peichel, C. L., & Rüber, L. (2026) · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1073/pnas.2614605123
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- Authors
- Kottelat, M., Britz, R., Hui, T. H., & Witte, K.-E.
- Affiliations
- National University of Singapore (SG)
- Natural History Museum (GB)
- Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology (DE)
- Corresponding author
- Kottelat, Maurice
- Venue
- Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences
- Publisher
- The Royal Society
- Published
- 2006-01-24
- Volume
- 273
- Issue
- 1589
- Pages
- 895-899
- ISSN
- 0080-4649 (ISSN-L)
- 0962-8452
- 1471-2954
- PMC
- PMC1560243
- OpenAlex
- W2120519342
- Cited by
- 149
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 7 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 9 · 2023: 8 · 2022: 11 · 2021: 8 · 2020: 10 · 2019: 4 · 2018: 8 · 2017: 6 · 2016: 4 · 2015: 8 · 2014: 6 · 2013: 2 · 2012: 10
- FWCI
- 13.42
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Locations
- Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- National University of Singapore (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Aquatic Science › Fish Biology and Ecology Studies
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Nature and Landscape Conservation › Fish biology, ecology, and behavior
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Nature and Landscape Conservation › Fish Ecology and Management Studies
- Keywords
- paedomorphosis, Cyprinidae, sexual dimorphism, reproductive mode, new genus, new species, habitat loss, Southeast Asia
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Asia, Southeastern, Cyprinidae, Environment, Feeding Behavior, Female, Male, Sex Characteristics, Body Size
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