Other: Small Fry

My mother has had a small (7-gallon?) freshwater fishtank on her kitchen counter for several years now. She currently has two fish in there, although I can't remember the species because she can't remember the exact species. It might be a platy.

Over Christmas, I was sitting at the kitchen table next to the tank when she fed them. I noticed something that seemed like a tiny fish, maybe ⅜" long.

Me: Is there a baby in there?
Mom: No, it's just a piece of food.
Me: Are you sure? It has eyes. Right there.
Mom: Oh, it is! It's a small fry! It's a big one, too!

Apparently she'd had two others in late winter, but they hadn't survived my parents' absence when my grandmother died. My mother had a "small fry" thingie, which is a plastic bin that floats at the top but keeps the small fry in. This one was staying right at the bottom, though, so there was no way to catch it. I asked if it was at risk of getting sucked into the water recirculation intake, and she said she'd get a piece of old pantyhose to put over it. Then I asked if it was at risk of getting eaten by mama and papa. "I don't know." She got out her guidebook and, yes, it looks like mama likes to munch on her babies.

We managed to catch the little guy and get him in the small fry thingie. The parents were really hankering to get in for awhile, but he was safe, darting around.