Paska's blue-eye

Care at a glance

Overview

Keep a group of at least six to eight, biased toward females, in a tank of 40 litres or more at 22 to 26 C and a pH of 5.5 to 7.0. Soft, gently acidic water suits it best and encourages spawning among fine plants. Pair it only with equally small, calm tankmates such as pygmy rasboras or small shrimp, since larger fish will outcompete or eat it. Feed small live and frozen foods like cyclops, daphnia and baby brine shrimp along with fine crushed flake.

In the wild

This tiny blue-eye comes from shaded, slow to moderate jungle creeks with soft, slightly acidic water and heavy plant cover. It spends most of its time in the upper half of the water column. Give it a well planted tank with fine leaved and floating plants, some driftwood and gentle flow so it feels secure enough to display. Tannin stained water from botanicals helps bring out its colors.

Good to know

Pseudomugil paskai was described by Allen and Ivantsoff in 1986 and named after John Paska, a Papua New Guinea fisheries technician who helped collect the type specimens. It is a member of the blue-eye family Pseudomugilidae, small relatives of the rainbowfish named for their reflective blue eyes. Males display by spreading their fins at one another in short standoffs.

Did you know

For years the bright red blue-eyes sold as red neon were a mix of this fish and its close relative Pseudomugil luminatus, which was only described as a separate species in 2016; true P. paskai shows less red and more yellow-orange on the body.

Related species

• Honey blue-eye

  Pseudomugil mellis

  1.4 in (3.5 cm)11 gal (40 L)68–82°F (20–28°C)
• Red neon blue-eye

  Pseudomugil luminatus

  1.4 in (3.5 cm)11 gal (40 L)72–81°F (22–27°C)
• Popondetta blue-eye

  Pseudomugil connieae

  2 in (5 cm)11 gal (40 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)

• 

  Spotted blue-eye

  Pseudomugil gertrudae

  1.5 in (3.8 cm)17 gal (65 L)70–82°F (21–28°C)

• 

  Delicate blue-eye

  Pseudomugil tenellus

  2.2 in (5.5 cm)20 gal (75 L)77–90°F (25–32°C)

• 

  Forktail blue-eye

  Pseudomugil furcatus

  2.2 in (5.5 cm)22 gal (85 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)