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
Flaccid catshark
Apristurus exsanguis
A ghostly deep-sea catshark from New Zealand, pale and kind of floppy-looking, that cruises 600-1200 m down where it is icy cold. It lays tough egg cases on the seafloor and grows to just under a meter. Super cool animal, but it is a deep, cold-water species that is totally unsuited to home aquariums.
Flagfin cardinalfish
Jaydia truncata
Jaydia truncata is a nocturnal reef-associated cardinalfish found in inshore waters of the continental shelf in the Indo-Pacific. It reaches about 15 cm total length and in aquaria should be provided with calm tankmates and ample shelter/overhangs.
Flag-tailed glass perchlet
Ambassis miops
Ambassis miops is a small, see-through little perchlet from Indo-Pacific estuaries and river mouths - you can often see the silvery organs and spine line inside the body when it turns just right. They tend to hang out in loose groups along weedy edges in slow-to-moderate flow, and that flag-like tail pattern is the quick giveaway once you spot it.
Flame cardinalfish
Fowleria amblyuroptera
Fowleria amblyuroptera is a very small Indo-Pacific/Western Pacific cardinalfish (to about 4 cm SL) associated with coastal reefs/bays and is primarily nocturnal. Like many cardinalfishes, the male mouthbroods the eggs; in captivity it should be provided with ample shelter and offered appropriately sized meaty foods/planktonic items.
Flathead galaxias
Galaxias rostratus
A small, slender Murray–Darling Basin galaxiid with a distinctly flattened head and large mouth. Occurs mid-water in still or gently flowing habitats such as billabongs, lagoons and backwaters, and schools in midwater. It is a threatened species in NSW and it is illegal to catch/keep/buy/sell/possess without a specific permit or approval.
Fly River garfish
Zenarchopterus novaeguineae
This is a surface-cruising freshwater halfbeak from New Guinea and far north Australia that likes warm, weedy shallows and will hang near the top in little shoals. In the wild it grazes a lot of plant material but will also snap up insects, so it acts like a picky topwater grazer with a "snatch anything that lands" vibe. If you ever try one in a tank, think "tight lid, calm flow, lots of surface cover" first.
Foersch's killifish
Nothobranchius foerschi
Nothobranchius foerschi is an annual killifish from coastal Tanzania that lives in temporary pools, so it is basically built to grow up fast, spawn hard, and not hang around forever. The males are ridiculously colorful and do a lot of little sparring and display posturing, which is half the fun of keeping them in a species tank.
Footballfish
Himantolophus danae
Picture a tiny round anglerfish with a built-in glow stick on her head, shaped like a spiky football. This one lives way out in the Indo-West Pacific at hundreds of meters deep in near-freezing water, so it is a look-dont-keep fish for home tanks. The family is fun to read about too - females fish with the light while the teensy males stay free-living and just focus on finding a mate.
Forktail blue-eye (Forktail rainbowfish)
Pseudomugil furcatus
Pseudomugil furcatus is one of those little fish that never sits still-in a good way. When you keep a proper group, the males do these harmless fin-flaring "showdowns" and the forked tail + blue eyes really pop, especially in a planted tank with some open swimming room. It's a peaceful, small schooling fish from Papua New Guinea rainforest streams, and it's an easy way to add constant movement to a tank.
Fork-tailed Yunnan loach
Yunnanilus forkicaudalis
This is a tiny Chinese stone loach that sticks close to the bottom and cruises around like a little mouse, poking into sand and between small rocks. Its wild home is pretty localized in Yunnan, so its more of a "cool oddball" than something you will reliably see at every fish shop. Treat it like a small, peaceful stream/edge-of-lake loach and it will reward you with nonstop foraging behavior.
Freshwater angelfish
Pterophyllum scalare
Pterophyllum scalare is that classic tall, triangle-shaped cichlid that just glides around like it owns the midwater. Give it some vertical space, plants/wood to weave through, and it'll reward you with tons of personality-especially once a pair forms and starts guarding a spawn site.
Fringe-gill toadfish
Torquigener tuberculiferus
This is a little marine puffer relative that lives down on the bottom in tropical waters. It is the kind of fish that does the classic puffer thing (cute until it decides it is had enough of tankmates), and it is much more of a niche species than a standard saltwater "beginner puffer".