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
Large-scale Yunnan loach
Yunnanilus macrolepis
This is a little Chinese stream loach from Yunnan that spends its time down low, cruising the bottom and picking at tiny foods like a mini vacuum. It is not super common in the hobby, and it tends to get mixed up with close relatives (some references even treat it as the same species as Yunnanilus paludosus), so good ID matters if you ever see one for sale.
Large-spotted Yunnan loach
Yunnanilus macrositanus
Yunnanilus macrositanus is a little Chinese stone loach from the Heilongtan (Black Dragon Pool) area in Yunnan. Its wild biology is barely documented in the hobby, so I would treat it like a small, cool-water to mid-temp Nemacheilid: lots of oxygen, hiding spots, and a peaceful setup where it can poke around the bottom without getting bullied.
Least pencilfish
Nannostomus minimus
Think of these as tiny floating dashes of color that cruise just under the surface in a loose group. They stay under an inch, show a crisp dark stripe with little red flecks, and really come into their own in soft, tea-colored water with plants and leaves. Super chill, but they do best in a decent-sized group so they feel secure.
Leichhardt's velvetfish
Kanekonia leichhardti
This is a tiny, bottom-hugging velvetfish from northern Australia that lives out on deeper, gritty sand. Its whole vibe is camouflage and sitting still, and it is absolutely not an aquarium trade fish - more of a scientific-record species than something you will ever see for sale.
Lemon Tetra
Hyphessobrycon pulchripinnis
Lemon tetras are one of those fish that look kind of subtle at first, then you catch the light and the whole body glows yellow with those punchy black-and-yellow fins. Get them in a proper little group and they're constantly cruising together, super active but not obnoxious. I also love how their red eyes pop when they're settled in and feeling good.
Leopard dace
Rhinichthys falcatus
Leopard dace is a little cool-water river minnow from the Pacific Northwest that hangs around gravel runs and flowing pools, and it spends a lot of its day picking at insect larvae. Its speckly, "leopard" look is subtle but really nice in person, and it does best in a tank that feels like a stream - lots of oxygen, clean water, and some current.
Lepidocephalichthys coromandelensis
Lepidocephalichthys coromandelensis
A tiny burrowing loach from hill streams in eastern India, it maxes out around two inches and spends a lot of time nosing through sand with just the eyes peeking out. Give it fine sand, leaf litter, and a calm group and it will show tons of character at feeding time.
Linke’s Licorice Gourami
Parosphromenus linkei
This is one of those tiny, dark little gouramis that looks kind of understated in a store tank... until it settles in and the male starts flashing those deep reds and blues with the fancy fin edging. They're shy and a bit secretive, but when you keep them the way they like (soft, acidic, calm), they turn into these surprisingly bold little show-offs around spawning time.
Lipeo livebearer
Jenynsia alternimaculata
A neat little Argentine-Bolivian livebearer from clear, cool hill streams, the Lipeo livebearer stays small and does great in a planted, nicely oxygenated setup. The quirky part is their one-sided mating thing, where males are left- or right-handed, which makes breeding pairs fun to watch. Keep a group and you will see lots of surface cruising and busy foraging.
Lombok viviparous brotula
Paradiancistrus lombokensis
This is a tiny, super-cryptic marine brotula from around Lombok, Indonesia - the kind of fish that lives tucked deep in reef cracks where you basically never see it. The really neat part is its group (viviparous brotulas) gives live birth, so its biology is way cooler than its shy little "hide in the rocks" lifestyle suggests.
Long-barbel sheatfish
Kryptopterus limpok
Kryptopterus limpok is a Southeast Asian sheatfish with really long maxillary barbels - FishBase notes they reach past the last quarter of the anal fin, so it has that "extra-whiskery" look. In the wild its a river/stream predator that eats small fish and also takes prawns and insect larvae, so think of it as a sleek, hunting-style catfish rather than a chill algae-picker.
Longbarbel stone loach
Micronemacheilus longibarbatus
This is a little southern China stone loach with extra-long mouth barbels - built for feeling around the bottom in dark, rocky habitats. Its a super niche fish (not something you will randomly see at most stores), and it does best when you treat it like a small river/karst loach: clean water, lots of oxygen, and a soft substrate so those barbels stay perfect.