Daisy's Ricefish

About

Found at a single known spring on Muna Island in Indonesia's Sulawesi Tenggara province, Oryzias woworae is a miniature ricefish whose natural range is about as restricted as it gets. Males in breeding condition develop vivid orange-red pigmentation along the caudal-fin margins, the lower caudal peduncle, and the base of the anal fin, set against a bluish body sheen. A combination that made this fish an instant sensation when it first appeared in the hobby not long after its scientific description. It belongs to the family Adrianichthyidae, the ricefishes, which despite old assumptions are not closely related to toothcarps but rather sit within the order Beloniformes. In the aquarium it is a gentle, loosely schooling species that does best in a group of eight or more, where social behavior and coloration both improve noticeably. Its small size means it needs similarly sized tankmates, think pygmy rasboras, small danionins, or freshwater shrimp, rather than anything that might outcompete or predate on it. Breeding is straightforward and fairly productive, with females depositing adhesive eggs among fine-leaved plants at roughly daily intervals when well fed. Adults generally leave eggs alone but will pick off free-swimming fry, so a densely planted setup or a separate rearing container is worth considering if you want to raise significant numbers.