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Hong Kong medaka (Oryzias curvinotus) — Adrianichthyidae

Hong Kong medaka

Oryzias curvinotus

The Hong Kong medaka (Oryzias curvinotus) is a brackish-water fish of the family Adrianichthyidae that grows up to 4 cm.

Length
4 cm
Water
Brackish
Behaviour
Schooling
Body shape
Elongated (eel-like)
Substrate
Open water
Danger
Harmless
Edibility
Commonly eaten

Description

The Hong Kong medaka is a ricefish or medaka (Adrianichthyidae) from shallow, slow-flowing fresh water of southern China and adjacent East Asia. The species grows to about 3 cm and has a slender, semi-translucent, silvery body with a flat head, an upturned mouth and large, high-set eyes. As a surface fish it swims in schools in rice paddies, ditches and pools and snaps at small zooplankton and mosquito larvae. The fish is harmless to humans.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Hong Kong medaka?

The Hong Kong medaka has an elongate, eel-like body and is mainly silver-grey.

Where does the Hong Kong medaka live?

The Hong Kong medaka lives in brackish water and is mostly found around open water.

How big does the Hong Kong medaka get?

The Hong Kong medaka grows to a maximum of about 4 cm. On average the species is around 2 cm.

Is the Hong Kong medaka dangerous to humans?

No, the Hong Kong medaka is harmless to humans.

Is the Hong Kong medaka edible?

Yes, the Hong Kong medaka is commonly eaten.

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All data

Identification

Dutch name
Hongkong-medaka sourced
English name
Hong Kong medaka sourced
Scientific name
Oryzias curvinotus
Family
Adrianichthyidae

Appearance

Size class
Small verified
Max length (cm)
4.0 verified
Average length (cm)
2.3 verified
Body shape
Elongated (eel-like) sourced
Dominant colour
Silver / grey sourced
Tail shape
Rounded inferred
Mouth position
Superior (upward) sourced

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Brackish sourced
Substrate
Open water sourced
Origin
Native inferred

Behaviour & biology

Social behaviour
Schooling sourced
Territorial
No inferred
Reproduction
Separate sexes inferred
Sexual dimorphism
No inferred

For anglers

Edibility
Commonly eaten inferred
Fishing method
Klein van stuk en nauwelijks een hengelsportdoel; wordt vooral incidenteel of als aasvis gevangen. inferred
Regulations source
FishBase ↗ inferred

Safety

Danger to humans
Harmless verified

Status & sources

Sources
FishBase via GBIF (DwC-A), CC-BY-NC 4.0

Same genus Oryzias

More from the family Adrianichthyidae

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