Animalia Life

Pandaka pygmaea
FAMILY
Gobiidae
TAXONOMY
Pandaka pygmaea Herre, 1927, Philippines (possibly Malabon).
OTHER COMMON NAMES
German: Zwerggrundel; Tagalog: Bia.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
A very small fish; females reach 0.6 in (1.5 cm) total length. Body is covered with scales, up to 25 in a longitudinal series along the flanks. The second dorsal and anal fins have six or seven soft rays. The pelvic fins are united into a small sucking disk. The body has a conspicuous pigmentation, with about four cross bands of dark spots on the flanks, and heavy pigmentation on the bases of all the fins except the pelvics. In males, the first dorsal fin is tipped with blue and the lower third is yellowish.
DISTRIBUTION
First reported as possibly from Malabon, a suburb of Manila in the Philippines. The presence of the species in the Malabon River was confirmed in the 1950s. Subsequently, it has been found at an island off Palawan (Philippines), the east coast of peninsular Thailand, Singapore, Bali, Sulawesi, and New Guinea.
HABITAT
Found along river banks in the Philippines from January to June, when the water is clear and the tide is rising. During the rainy season the fishes apparently move into ponds and canals. Also found in brackish waters and around mangroves. Some specimens were apparently caught in marine waters adjacent to Palawan. Fishes kept in aquaria can acclimate to marine, brackish, or freshwater conditions.
BEHAVIOR
Usually stationary, on surfaces of rocks or plants, or hanging in midwater. Swimming occurs in an erratic series of starts.
FEEDING ECOLOGY AND DIET
Aquarium-kept specimens are voracious, feeding on brine shrimps and other small or chopped invertebrate material.
REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY
Nothing known.
CONSERVATION STATUS
Listed as Critically Endangered by the IUCN, with an observed or suspected population reduction of 90% or more over the last 10 years, or three generations. Populations are threatened by introduced species, hybridization, pathogens, pollutants, competitors, or parasites.
SIGNIFICANCE TO HUMANS
None known.

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