Search Species
Search for fish species by common or scientific name, or use filters to browse by water type, size, temperament, and difficulty.
Found 665 species
Confused lanternfish
Diaphus confusus
Diaphus confusus is a small lanternfish (family Myctophidae) known from the southeastern Pacific, recorded from deep mesopelagic/bathypelagic depths around 545–560 m near the Sala y Gómez Ridge. It is a wild, deepwater species and not realistically maintained as a typical home-aquarium fish due to capture/shipping and pressure/light/feeding constraints.
Constellationfish
Valenciennellus tripunctulatus
This is that tiny deep-sea hatchetfish with little light organs that sparkle like a night sky, which is why folks call it the constellationfish. It cruises the mesopelagic zone and snacks on copepods and ostracods, and while it looks awesome, it is not an aquarium candidate since it lives hundreds of meters down in cold, dim water.
Convict goby
Lythrypnus phorellus
A tiny Caribbean goby with bold dark-and-pale bars, the convict goby spends its days perched under ledges and picking micro-crustaceans from the rock. It stays under an inch long, so it does best in a peaceful nano reef with lots of nooks and a steady supply of small foods like copepods or finely chopped mysis. Think of it as a shy little cave gremlin that comes out when it feels safe.
Convict zebra sole
Zebrias captivus
Picture a tiny zebra-striped sole from the Persian Gulf that spends the day buried in fine sand with just its eyes showing. When the lights go down it slides out to nab worms and little crustaceans, so it needs a mature sand bed and meaty foods. Super cool pattern and stealthy behavior, but feeding makes it a specialist fish.
Cordoba livebearer
Jenynsia obscura
A small onesided livebearer from central Argentina, the Cordoba livebearer stays petite and does great in cooler, well-oxygenated freshwater. Males have that quirky one-sided gonopodium and the group shows lots of personality when kept as a small colony.
Creek livebearer
Jenynsia eigenmanni
Jenynsia eigenmanni is a little South American livebearer from southern Brazil, and it has that classic Jenynsia "one-sided" mating setup, which is pretty wild to watch once you keep a group. It's not a showy neon fish, but it is super active and always cruising and grazing, more like a tiny, tougher molly-type fish that stays busy all day.
Creek loach
Schistura beavani
Schistura beavani is a little river loach that wants that brisk, oxygen-rich stream vibe - smooth stones, sandy patches, and enough flow that you can see the fish perk up and start cruising. In a group they get way more confident, and you will sometimes spot that classic Schistura behavior of nosing into the sand and wedging into tight spots. It is also one of those fish that gets mislabeled in shops, so buying from a source that can ID them well is a big deal.
Cricare killifish
Xenurolebias cricarensis
This is a tiny Brazilian annual killifish from temporary marshes in the rio Sao Mateus (rio Cricare) floodplain. In the wet season it grows fast, colors up, spawns in the bottom, and the eggs ride out the dry season in the substrate - super cool life cycle, but it also means its not a long-lived "pet fish" the way most community fish are.
Critter Goby
Lentipes crittersius
Tiny stream goby from West Papua that sticks to rocks and loves fast, super-clean water. It spends the day scooting over stones to graze algae and biofilm, then dashes into the current like a little surfer. Give it a mature, high-flow tank and it will show loads of personality.
Crosseyed cardinalfish
Fowleria aurita
Think of this little cardinal as a night owl that hangs in the shadows by day and pops out at lights-off to snack. It stays small, has that quirky crossed-eye look, and like other cardinals the male mouthbroods the eggs, which is super cool to watch if you ever get a pair to spawn. Give it rockwork to hide in and it settles right in.
Cuban cusk-eel
Lucifuga subterranea
A blind, cave- and sinkhole-dwelling livebearing brotula (Bythitidae) endemic to Cuba that feeds on small crustaceans (e.g., isopods) in subterranean waters.
Cutthroat eel (Ilyophis robinsae)
Ilyophis robinsae
This is a deep-sea cutthroat eel that lives way down on the seafloor - like, thousands of meters deep. Its whole vibe is "muddy abyss predator/scavenger" with that classic eel-shaped body, and its name honors ichthyologist Catherine Robins. Not an aquarium fish in any realistic sense, but it is a seriously cool species from an extreme habitat.