Aquarist Atlas
Ricefish · Sulawesi ricefish · Oryzias

Oryzias asinua

Parenti, Hadiaty, Lumbantobing & Herder, 2013

2 cited sourcesName checked against Eschmeyer’s Catalog of Fishes, update of

IUCNENDANGERED
CARESNOT LISTED
Type localitySulawesi Tenggara, Regency of Konawe, District of Asinua, Village of Asipako, Sungai Asinua near where crossed by bridge, 80 meters altitude, 3°42'77.2"N, 121°47'92.1"W, Indonesiaper Catalog of Fishes
Scientific size1 in2.7 cm standard length
Depth—not recorded
DietNot documented for this species; ricefishes in general take small invertebrates and algae at or near the surface
BreedingNot documented for this species
Sexual dimorphismNot documentedNot documented for this species
PhotographsSee photosGoogle Images →

Oryzias asinua is a ricefish from the Asinua River in southeast Sulawesi, described in 2013 by Parenti, Hadiaty, Lumbantobing and Herder. FishBase gives a maximum of 1 in SL, and the IUCN lists it as Endangered.

Taxonomy & naming

The authors described the species in 2013, together with O. wolasi, from rivers of southeast Sulawesi. The name refers to the Asinua River, the type locality.

Morphology

A small ricefish; FishBase gives a maximum of 1 in SL.

Habitat

The Sungai Asinua, Konawe Regency, southeast Sulawesi, at about 262 ft elevation. FishBase describes small pools and shoreline over an extensive floodplain with clear water, slow to swift current and a temperature of 26 C. A native halfbeak (Nomorhamphus) lives alongside it, together with introduced fishes including Trichopodus trichopterus and Oreochromis.

Feeding

Diet is not documented.

Mating

Courtship has not been described.

Breeding

Breeding has not been documented.

In the aquarium

Not known in culture.

Conservation

The IUCN Red List classes Oryzias asinua as Endangered, meaning it faces a very high risk of extinction in the wild. It is known only from one river system, where introduced fishes share its habitat.

Common questions

Oryzias asinua: how big does it get?
Up to 1 in standard length (SL).
Oryzias asinua: where does it come from?
It is recorded from Indonesia.

On a list: Nano fish

Related species compared · Oryzias

SpeciesAdult sizeTemperaturepHHardnessIUCN
Oryzias asinuathis species1 in SL———EN
Daisy's ricefishOryzias woworae1 in SL—pH 6–7—EN
Oryzias moramoensis1 in SL———NE
Oryzias wolasi1 in SL75–79 °F——DD
Soeroto's ricefishOryzias soerotoi1 in SL———CR
Oryzias chenglongensis1 in SL———NE
Indian ricefishOryzias carnaticus1 in SL———LC
Mekong medakaOryzias mekongensis1 in TL———LC
Indian medakaOryzias dancena1 in SL———LC
Chinese medakaOryzias sinensis1 in SL———LC
Oryzias cabaranensis1.5 in SL———NE
Oryzias nebulosus1.5 in SL———NT

Recorded ranges from each species’ own page; hardness is the tolerance its sources give, not a measurement of the water it lives in. See all 40 Oryzias species →

Also from the Southeast Sulawesi

Sources

  1. FishBase — Oryzias asinua Parenti, Hadiaty, Lumbantobing & Herder, 2013
  2. Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes (California Academy of Sciences) — Oryzias asinua

Naming authority: Oryzias asinua in Eschmeyer’s Catalog of Fishes ↗

Last reviewed 2026-10-05.

How to cite

Aquarist Atlas (2026). Oryzias asinua. Aquarist Atlas.https://www.aquaristatlas.com/ricefish/oryzias-asinua/

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Where it has been recorded

3 georeferenced records (GBIF). Each point is a field observation or museum specimen — pan and zoom to explore where this species turns up. The coordinates come straight from GBIF and are often rounded or tied to the nearest town or river landing, so a dot can sit just beside the actual water rather than in it.

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