Oryzias polylepis: how big does it get?

Up to 5.3 cm standard length (SL).

Ricefish · Sulawesi ricefish · Oryzias

Oryzias polylepis

Möhring, Mokodongan & Herder in Möhring, Mokodongan, Gani, Wowor, Annawaty, Böhne & Herder, 2025

2 cited sourcesName checked against Eschmeyer’s Catalog of Fishes, update of 21 Sep 2026

IUCNNOT EVALUATED

NEnot on the EX–LC scale

CARESNOT LISTED

EWCRENVUNTnot on the priority list

Type localityLariang River near Lengkeka Village, Bada Valley, District Lore Barat, Poso Regency, Sulawesi Tengah, Indonesia, 01°52'38.05"S, 120°12'8.83"E, elevation 752 metersper Catalog of Fishes

Scientific size2 in5.3 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 polylepis is a ricefish from the Lariang River in the Bada Valley of Central Sulawesi, described in 2025 by Möhring, Mokodongan, Herder and colleagues. FishBase gives a maximum of 2 in SL.

Taxonomy & naming

The species was described in 2025 from the Lariang River near Lengkeka village in the Bada Valley, Poso Regency.

Morphology

A ricefish larger than most of its relatives; FishBase gives a maximum of 2 in SL.

Habitat

The Lariang River in the Bada Valley, Central Sulawesi, at about 2,461 ft elevation. FishBase describes it as a freshwater, benthopelagic fish.

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 atlas has no IUCN assessment on record for this recently described species and assigns no category.

Common questions

Oryzias polylepis: how big does it get?: Up to 2 in standard length (SL).
Oryzias polylepis: where does it come from?: It is recorded from Indonesia.

Related species compared · Oryzias

Species	Adult size	Temperature	pH	Hardness	IUCN
Oryzias polylepisthis species	2 in SL	—	—	—	NE
Oryzias kalimpaaensis	2 in SL	—	—	—	NE
Oryzias sarasinorum	3 in TL	75–84 °F	pH 7.5–8.5	—	CR
Soeroto's ricefishOryzias soerotoi	1 in SL	—	—	—	CR
Oryzias bonneorum	—	—	—	—	NE
Matano medakaOryzias matanensis	2 in TL	72–77 °F	pH 7.5–8.5	—	NT
Black buntingiOryzias nigrimas	2 in SL	72–77 °F	pH 7.5–8.5	—	NT
Towuti ricefishOryzias profundicola	2.5 in TL	72–77 °F	pH 7.5–8.5	—	NT
Celebes medakaOryzias celebensis	2 in TL	72–86 °F	pH 8–9	—	LC
Javanese ricefishOryzias javanicus	2 in TL	72–77 °F	pH 7.5–8.5	—	LC
Sharpjawed buntingiOryzias orthognathus	2.5 in TL	72–77 °F	pH 7.5–8.5	—	NT
Marmorated medakaOryzias marmoratus	1.5 in SL	72–77 °F	pH 7.5–8.5	—	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 →

Sources

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

Last reviewed 2026-10-05.

How to cite

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

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