The Gulf Coast pygmy sunfish is one of the smallest freshwater fish in North America. Its body length rarely exceeds 3 centimeters, and it lives in swamps and overgrown water bodies in the southeastern United States.
This species differs from other dwarf sunfish by its small range along the Gulf of Mexico coast and very small body size. It serves as an important link in the food chain, eating small invertebrates and becoming prey for larger fish and birds.
Legendary longevity: over 100 years. Galapagos tortoises, Greenland sharks, ocean quahogs celebrate with family once every 4 years
Immature form that undergoes metamorphosis before adulthood.
Offspring
Worker
Elders
Bro
birth time
lakes and ponds
freshwater marsh and wetlands
Taxons
carnivore
if born as {name}
Dogs, dolphins, lynx hang out for 9-25 years and party on their birthday three times a year
m
Map
will celebrate their {n} birthday
shallow coastal zones of rivers and lakes
g
age
t
When your next jubilee falls in {name} life years
Human
birth date
Palearctic realm
no permanent shelter
freshwater coastal and creek
Close
was
days
Career from 7 to 15 months. Dwarf hamsters, voles, field crickets celebrate their birthday twice a month
The basics
How old you would be if you lived as {name}
caudal fin
Theoretical maximum lifespan estimated from the Dynamic Energy Budget (DEB) mathematical model. This value reflects a biological potential derived from metabolic parameters, not from direct observation — real recorded lifespans are often significantly shorter.
My weight?
Non-stop carnival: they only live a few days. Mayflies, rotifers, midges celebrate their birthday more than twice a day
adult
Maturity
primary food sources
Potential Habitat
About health
When your next birthday would fall if you lived as {name}
d
In husbandry
On the go from 1.3 to 3.5 years. Forest mice, anoles, rainbow fish party on their birthday once a month
Repro interval
results
Mass
Mosquitoes, fruit flies, small crustaceans hustle for up to 7 months and throw a birthday party every week
Colors
Sex
{name} birthday
Upcoming jubilees
Gremllins
mo
Nearctic realm
No results found
North America and Greenland, from tundra to forests
all seas and oceans
Trophic type
Filters
On the map
lunge
small crustaceans
Pleasant summer
all life stages
Female ♀
Body color
Upcoming birthdays
standing fresh waters — lakes, ponds, oxbow lakes
Map data sources: Ecosystem classification — IUCN Global Ecosystem Typology (Keith et al., 2022), indicative distribution maps Keith et al. (2020), https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3546513; Large Marine Ecosystems — NOAA LME Program; Bathymetry — GEBCO Bathymetric Compilation Group (2026), GEBCO_2026 Grid, https://doi.org/10.5285/4f68d5c7-45eb-f999-e063-7086abc036fa; Climate data — Generated using Copernicus Climate Change Service information; Species occurrence data — GBIF.org, Derived dataset "all animals", https://zveriki.com/dataset/dataset.tsv; Terrestrial ecoregions — RESOLVE Ecoregions 2017 (Dinerstein et al., 2017), CC BY 4.0
Potential habitat modelled from GBIF occurrence data. Map © Zveriki.com, licensed under CC BY 4.0.
Truly long lives: 40-100 years. Bowhead whales, albatrosses, giant tortoises recall their birthday at most once a year
Lifespan
up to ~3 grams, up to 3 centimeters
birth year
Maturity
Desert and dry shrubs
invertebrate
insect larvae and caterpillars
Age (from birth to death)
sq mm
yr
comfortable summer, +20…+25 °C
most of Europe and Asia, various forests, steppes and tundra
Wanderers
How similar?
aquatic worms
Jubilee = every 10th birthday
Male ♂
until the celebration
age as {name}
How do they breed?
On the go from 3.5 to 6 years. Hedgehogs, crows, lizards treat themselves to birthday snacks 6 times a year
What if eaten?
Neither
Earliest developmental stage inside an egg or womb.
Business sausages
Lifespan average
What do they eat?
insect larvae
Where do they live?
Marine world
early young
What do they look like?
Maturity
emergence (insects)
shallow vegetated waters
end of lifespan
Freshwater
How do they live?
fertilization / egg laying
How do they behave?
birth / hatching
metamorphosis / end of larval stage
end of acceleration
Share
swampy freshwater biotopes — peat bogs, marshes, river mangroves
Duration
Find a pet...
Mature, fully developed individual capable of reproduction.
Freshwater
hot, uneven rains, lots of grass and trees
This is me
freshwater
Actively hunting and capturing live prey.
Gamers
Pets
How are they built?
all rivers and lakes
Primary oral structure used to seize, manipulate, or ingest food.
Nearctic realm
mm
Theoretical lifespan
ml
Stars
Link copied
My age?
wk
My size?
{name} jubilee
Dorsal fin color
Eyes size
Asexual
swap
freshwater environment — rivers, lakes, ponds, swamps
cm
Old-timers
Find an animal or breed...
active predation
mouth
turns
Rabbits, falcons, red-eared turtles hang out for 6-9 years and party on their birthday four times a year
Rascals
Where do they take shelter?
Warm summer and lots of rain
celebrated their {n} birthday
When you would have been born if you lived as {name}
Litter size
Daddies
small crabs, amphipods and other crustaceans
Tropical savanna
Lifespan maximum
Map data sources: Ecosystem classification — IUCN Global Ecosystem Typology (Keith et al., 2022), indicative distribution maps Keith et al. (2020), https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3546513; Large Marine Ecosystems — NOAA LME Program; Bathymetry — GEBCO Bathymetric Compilation Group (2026), GEBCO_2026 Grid, https://doi.org/10.5285/4f68d5c7-45eb-f999-e063-7086abc036fa; Climate data — Generated using Copernicus Climate Change Service information; Species occurrence data — GBIF.org, Derived dataset "all animals", https://zveriki.com/dataset/dataset.tsv; Terrestrial ecoregions — RESOLVE Ecoregions 2017 (Dinerstein et al., 2017), CC BY 4.0
How to care for them?
Living from 25 to 40 years. Orangutans, bald eagles, African elephants celebrate their birthday twice a year
°C
Not specified
Sand grain
Hermaphrodite ⚥
Where are they found?
North America and Greenland, from tundra to forests
worms living in water or in bottom silt
Species lacks any fixed or lasting shelter structure.
embryo
all rivers and lakes
Length
kg
very hot and dry, rare rains, cacti live
lots of rain, warm and pleasant summer
Rapid forward strike to seize prey.
Observations
◉{N} more on tap