TankBud

New Guinea blue-eye

Pseudomugil novaeguineae

Also known as New Guinea blue-eye rainbowfish

FreshwaterFish

New Guinea blue-eye (Pseudomugil novaeguineae)

Care at a glance

Temperature
79–86°F
26–30°C
pH
6.5–8.0
Adult size
1.8 in
4.5 cm
Minimum tank
15 gal
55 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Schooling
Swim level
Top
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
Egg scatterer · Medium
Rarity
Very rare
Family
Pseudomugilidae
Origin
Southern New Guinea, Fly River to Etna Bay

Overview

The New Guinea blue-eye is a small, peaceful schooling fish for a warm, thickly planted tank. It is best with a little experience.

Did you know

The New Guinea blue-eye was the first blue-eye ever described from New Guinea, from fish brought back by an early Dutch expedition. Most of its relatives were not discovered until the 1980s and 1990s.

Caring for the New Guinea blue-eye

Keep a school of eight or more New Guinea blue-eyes in a tank of at least 15 gal (55 L). Plant it thickly, with floating cover and mild flow.

Keep the water warm, at 79 to 86°F (26 to 30°C), with a pH of 6.5 to 8.0. Feed fine live and frozen foods with crushed flake.

Like the rest of the genus, New Guinea blue-eyes are peaceful and busy in the upper water. Males show a red leading edge on the first dorsal fin, with pale fin margins. They display at each other through the day.

They scatter eggs on mops and moss, and the fry need tiny first foods. Breeding them is rated medium.

Good to know

Pseudomugil novaeguineae was described by Weber in 1907. It is larger than most of the West Papuan blue-eyes. Little has been published on its wild ecology. It remains rare in collections, and both imports and tank-raised stock surface only occasionally.

In the wild

The New Guinea blue-eye lives in lowland rainforest creeks across southern New Guinea. Its range runs from the Fly River in Papua New Guinea west to Etna Bay in West Papua, plus the Aru Islands. It favors warm, gentle water under forest cover.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The New Guinea blue-eye is a peaceful, schooling species that keeps to the top. These picks share a community profile with it, are safe together in both directions, and overlap on water type, temperature and pH.

Check the full mix in the stocking calculator

Common questions

What size tank does a New Guinea blue-eye need?

A New Guinea blue-eye needs at least 15 gal (55 L). It spends most of its time in the top.

What temperature and pH does a New Guinea blue-eye need?

A New Guinea blue-eye is comfortable at 79–86°F (26–30°C) with a pH of 6.5–8.0.

What does a New Guinea blue-eye eat?

A New Guinea blue-eye eats fine live and frozen foods, along with crushed flake.

How big does a New Guinea blue-eye get?

An adult New Guinea blue-eye reaches about 1.8 in (4.5 cm).

Does a New Guinea blue-eye need a group?

Yes. A New Guinea blue-eye is a schooling species and should be kept in a group, not singly.

How can you tell a male New Guinea blue-eye from a female?

Males show a red leading edge on the first dorsal fin, with pale fin margins.

How does a New Guinea blue-eye breed?

New Guinea blue-eyes scatter their eggs on mops and moss. The fry need tiny first foods.

Related species