Vogelkop blue-eye

Care at a glance

Overview

Almost nothing is published about its husbandry, so assume the genus pattern: a calm, warm, heavily planted species tank, a school skewed toward females, fine live and frozen foods, and mops or moss offered for spawning. The few wild groups that have reached the trade have gone to dedicated breeders, which suits a critically endangered fish. Keep notes and share offspring if you succeed.

In the wild

The Vogelkop blue-eye is known from well vegetated rainforest streams in the Ayamaru Lakes region, in the center of the Vogelkop Peninsula of West Papua. The karst water there is clear, around neutral, and warm. Keep it at 24 to 28 degrees Celsius with a pH of 7.0 to 8.0, thick planting, floating cover, and gentle flow.

Good to know

Pseudomugil reticulatus was described by Allen and Ivantsoff in 1986 from a single specimen collected near Ajamaru village. The name refers to the net pattern drawn by dark scale edges over a pale tan body, set off by yellow on the breast and fins. It reaches about 3.5 centimeters. The species is assessed as Critically Endangered, restricted to a small area under pressure, and captive breeding has not been formally recorded.

Did you know

Science met this fish through a single specimen netted near Ajamaru in the 1980s, and 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.

Related species

• Honey blue-eye

  Pseudomugil mellis

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

  Pseudomugil paskai

  1.4 in (3.5 cm)11 gal (40 L)72–79°F (22–26°C)
• Red neon blue-eye

  Pseudomugil luminatus

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

  Pseudomugil paludicola

  1.4 in (3.5 cm)11 gal (40 L)79–86°F (26–30°C)
• Ivantsoff's blue-eye

  Pseudomugil ivantsoffi

  1.6 in (4 cm)11 gal (40 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)
• Transparent blue-eye

  Pseudomugil pellucidus

  1.6 in (4 cm)11 gal (40 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)