Taxonomy

Body elongate
Body depth contained 6-7.5 times in standard length
Abdominal region almost circular in cross section, body behind anal fin laterally compressed
Caudal peduncle long, narrow, 1.7-2 times in body depth and laterally compressed
Head and eye large, mouth supraterminal
Upper and lower jaws massive in large males, resulting in longer preorbital distance
Nostrils well developed
Lateral line canals and pores on head and body absent
Dorsal fin short-based, situated opposite posterior half of long-based anal fin
Caudal fin furcate with remnants of larval-fin-fold in front of its dorsal and ventral margins
Remnant of pre-anal larval-fin-fold present in females only
Anus and genital papilla of males located distinctly anterior to anal fin between pelvic fins, in females at typical position in front of anal fin
Window (pseudotypanum) present in body musculature rendering pigmented surface of lateral side of anterior gas bladder chamber visible
Body muscles greatly thinned out at lateral side of posterior gas bladder chamber
Scales absent

Pigmentation in alcohol specimens is restricted to:

5 rows of melanophores
- a broad, mid-dorsal row from head to caudal-fin base
- a mid-lateral row along horizontal septum from shoulder girdle to hypural plate
- a ventral row from in front of and slightly above anal-fin base along ventral larval-fin-fold to the end of hypural plate
- a row along anal-fin base
- an abdominal, mid-ventral row from ventral tip of cleithrum to anus
melanophores capping dorsal and dorsolateral surface of gas bladder chambers and their connecting duct

In life, body is colourless and largely translucent, except for:

Lookalikes

Live individuals of D. dracula may be easily confused with the other species of the genus due to their miniature size and lack of easily visible external characters. Find out the diagnostic characters that enable an accurate identification to be made.
Evolution

Danionella dracula is one of the most developmentally truncated vertebrates. Learn about the potential cause of this developmental truncation and about the species' unique hyperossifications that resemble teeth.