TankBud

Vogelkop blue-eye

Pseudomugil reticulatus

Also known as Reticulated blue-eye

FreshwaterFish

Vogelkop blue-eye (Pseudomugil reticulatus)

Care at a glance

Temperature
75–82°F
24–28°C
pH
7.0–8.0
Adult size
1.4 in
3.5 cm
Minimum tank
11 gal
40 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Schooling
Swim level
Top
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
No record
Rarity
Very rare
Family
Pseudomugilidae
Origin
Vogelkop Peninsula, West Papua

Overview

The Vogelkop blue-eye is a small, peaceful schooling fish for the upper water of a species tank. It is best with a little experience.

Did you know

Science met the Vogelkop blue-eye through a single specimen netted near Ajamaru village in the 1980s. For decades that one fish was most of what the world knew about it. It remains one of the rarest blue-eyes in both the wild and the hobby.

Caring for the Vogelkop blue-eye

Almost nothing is published about keeping the Vogelkop blue-eye, so follow the pattern for its genus. Keep a school skewed toward females in a calm, heavily planted species tank of 11 gal (40 L) or more. Add floating cover and keep the flow gentle.

Hold the water warm, at 75 to 82°F (24 to 28°C), with a pH of 7.0 to 8.0. Feed fine live and frozen foods. Vogelkop blue-eyes are peaceful and spend most of their time near the top of the tank.

Offer mops or moss for spawning. Captive breeding has not been formally recorded, so keep notes and share the offspring if you succeed.

Good to know

Pseudomugil reticulatus is a blue-eye in the family Pseudomugilidae, described by Allen and Ivantsoff in 1986. Its name refers to the net pattern drawn by dark scale edges over a pale tan body. Yellow on the breast and fins sets the pattern off. The species is assessed as Critically Endangered and restricted to a small area under pressure. The few wild groups that have reached the trade have gone to dedicated breeders, which suits a critically endangered fish.

In the wild

The Vogelkop blue-eye is known from well-vegetated rainforest streams in the Ayamaru Lakes region of West Papua. The region sits in the center of the Vogelkop Peninsula. The karst water there is clear, warm and around neutral.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The Vogelkop 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 Vogelkop blue-eye need?

A Vogelkop blue-eye needs at least 11 gal (40 L). It spends most of its time in the top.

What temperature and pH does a Vogelkop blue-eye need?

A Vogelkop blue-eye is comfortable at 75–82°F (24–28°C) with a pH of 7.0–8.0.

What does a Vogelkop blue-eye eat?

A Vogelkop blue-eye is fed like the rest of its genus, since almost nothing is published about its care. Offer it fine live and frozen foods.

How big does a Vogelkop blue-eye get?

An adult Vogelkop blue-eye reaches about 1.4 in (3.5 cm).

Does a Vogelkop blue-eye need a group?

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

Related species