Oryzias timorensis is a ricefish named for Timor, described by Weber and de Beaufort in 1922 from Mota Talau. FishBase gives a maximum of 1.5 in TL, and the IUCN lists it as Critically Endangered.

Taxonomy & naming

Weber and de Beaufort described the species in 1922 in a different genus, and it now sits in Oryzias; the authority is therefore in parentheses. The species is the Timor representative of the genus.

Morphology

A small ricefish; FishBase gives a maximum of 1.5 in TL.

Habitat

Fresh waters of Timor, Indonesia; the type locality is Mota Talau. FishBase describes it as a freshwater, benthopelagic, non-migratory fish.

Feeding

Diet is not documented.

Mating

Courtship has not been described.

Breeding

FishBase reports it as a non-annual breeder. Details of spawning have not been published.

In the aquarium

Not known in the aquarium trade. FishBase describes it as difficult to maintain in aquaria.

Conservation

The IUCN Red List classes Oryzias timorensis as Critically Endangered, meaning it faces an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild. It is known only from Timor.

Common questions

Timor ricefish (Oryzias timorensis): how big does it get?: Up to 1.5 in total length (TL).
Timor ricefish (Oryzias timorensis): where does it come from?: It is recorded from Indonesia.

On a list: Nano fish

Related species compared · Oryzias

Species	Adult size	Temperature	pH	Hardness	IUCN
Timor ricefishOryzias timorensisthis species	1.5 in TL	—	—	—	CR
Hainan medakaOryzias curvinotus	1.5 in TL	—	—	—	DD
Masapi ricefishOryzias hadiatyae	1.5 in SL	—	—	—	VU
Japanese medakaOryzias latipes	1.5 in SL	64–75 °F	pH 7–8	161–339 ppm	LC
Oryzias loxolepis	1.5 in SL	—	—	—	NE
Luzon ricefishOryzias luzonensis	1.5 in TL	—	—	—	EN
Marmorated medakaOryzias marmoratus	1.5 in SL	72–77 °F	pH 7.5–8.5	—	NT
Northern medakaOryzias sakaizumii	1.5 in SL	—	—	—	LC
Oryzias dopingdopingensis	1.5 in SL	—	—	—	NE
Evers' ricefishOryzias eversi	1.5 in SL	—	—	—	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

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 timorensis in Eschmeyer’s Catalog of Fishes ↗

Last reviewed 2026-10-05.

How to cite

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

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Where it has been recorded

2 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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