Nannostomus marginatus Eigenmann, 1909
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
Nannostomus marginatus (from the Greek: nanos = small, and the Latin stomus = relating to the mouth; from the Latin: marginatus = marginated), commonly known as the dwarf pencilfish, is a freshwater species of fish belonging to the genus Nannostomus in the characin family Lebiasinidae.
They were first described in 1909 by C. H. Eigenmann, and are typical of members of this genus, being small, elongated fish with prominent horizontal stripes. The most notable feature of N. marginatus is its size, being one of the smallest members of the genus, only reaching a maximum size of 35 mm (1.4 in).
They occur widely on the South American continent, having been recorded in Brazil, Guyana, Colombia, Suriname, and Peru.
They have been a popular aquarium species since their introduction to aquarists in the early twentieth century.
Wikipedia contributors, Nannostomus marginatus; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T23:16:42.787388+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Nannostomus marginatus Eigenmann, 1909
- Name authority
- Eigenmann, 1909
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Teleostei
- Order
- Characiformes
- Family
- Lebiasinidae
- Genus
- Nannostomus
- Extinction status
- Not supplied by this source
Source habitat flags: Marine: no · Freshwater: yes · Terrestrial: no. These do not form a complete habitat description.
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- gigaclassActinopterygii
- superclassActinopteri
- classTeleostei
- orderCharaciformes
- suborderCharacoidei
- familyLebiasinidae Gill, 1889
- subfamilyPyrrhulininae Bleeker, 1859
- genusNannostomus Günther, 1872
- speciesNannostomus marginatus Eigenmann, 1909
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Nannostomus. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Nannostomus anduzei Fernandez & Weitzman, 1987 | LebiasinidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Nannostomus beckfordi Günther, 1872 | LebiasinidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Nannostomus erythrurus (Eigenmann, 1909) | LebiasinidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Nannostomus harrisoni (Eigenmann, 1909) | LebiasinidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Nannostomus minimus Eigenmann, 1909 | LebiasinidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Nannostomus nitidus Weitzman, 1978 | LebiasinidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Nannostomus trifasciatus Steindachner, 1876 | LebiasinidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Nannostomus unifasciatus Steindachner, 1876 | LebiasinidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Nannostomus bifasciatus Hoedeman, 1954 | LebiasinidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Nannostomus britskii Weitzman, 1978 | LebiasinidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Nannostomus digrammus (Fowler, 1913) | LebiasinidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Nannostomus eques Steindachner, 1876 | LebiasinidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Nannostomus marginatus picturatus Hoedeman, 1954 Hoedeman, 1954 | synonym |
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- Eigenmann, C. H. (1909). Reports on the expedition to British Guiana of the Indiana University and the Carnegie Museum, 1908. Report no. 1. Some new genera and species of fishes from British Guiana. Annals of the Carnegie Museum, v. 6 (no. 1): 4–54. https://doi.org/10.5962/p.331035 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:45MRT. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.