Search Species
Search for fish species by common or scientific name, or use filters to browse by water type, size, temperament, and difficulty.
Found 562 species
Productus suckermouth catfish
Chiloglanis productus
This is a tiny African suckermouth catfish from fast, clear tributary streams feeding Lake Tanganyika - think boulders, gravel, and current. Its little suction-cup mouth is built for clinging to rocks in flow, and males have a more drawn-out caudal fin shape (which is literally what productus is referring to). If you like oddball hillstream-style setups, this one fits that vibe perfectly.
Pullus viviparous brotula
Nielsenichthys pullus
This is a tiny little livebearing brotula from reefy coastal waters around Bali, Indonesia, topping out at only about 3.8 cm standard length. It is basically a secretive, bottom-hugging marine fish you would expect to live tucked into cracks and crevices, and its whole genus is just this one species.
Punk pleco
Neblinichthys pilosus
This is that weirdly awesome little pleco with the punk-rock bristles - mature males get those spiky odontodes on the head and snout that make it look like it rolled out of a 1980s show. It stays pretty small for a pleco, but it is a true wild-type fish from remote Venezuela, so it does best in a clean, oxygen-rich setup with lots of flow and hiding spots.
Pürzl's killifish
Fundulopanchax puerzli
Fundulopanchax puerzli is a freshwater killifish from western Cameroon (Lower Wouri system), inhabiting small rainforest streams and swampy/slow-moving waters. It reaches about 8 cm TL, and is typically maintained in soft water (around 2–5 dGH) with slightly acidic to near-neutral pH (around 6.8), subdued lighting, and dense cover/spawning mops or fine plants.
Pygmy corydoras
Corydoras pygmaeus
Pygmy cories are tiny little armored catfish that do this super-cool thing most cories don't: they'll cruise around in the midwater in a loose school instead of just shuffling along the bottom. Give them a soft sandy substrate, lots of plants to weave through, and a proper group, and they turn into nonstop little busybodies.
Pygmy madtom
Noturus stanauli
This is a tiny North American catfish from Tennessee's Clinch and Duck rivers that spends its days tucked under small rocks and comes out around dusk. Males guard small clutches of big eggs, which is fun to watch if you ever see footage from conservation hatcheries. It is federally endangered, so it is a fish for biologists with permits, not home aquariums.
Qianlabeo
Qianlabeo striatus
Qianlabeo striatus is a tiny, river-dwelling labeonin carp from Guizhou, China (Pearl River drainage) that stays under about 3.5 inches. It is the only species in its genus, and in the aquarium hobby it is basically a "data-poor" fish - you will likely be guessing a bit on care unless you can match it to its exact natural stream conditions.
Rainford's goby
Koumansetta rainfordi
This little goby is a tiny striped hoverer that spends its day scooting between rock crevices and pecking at the sand and micro-stuff on the rocks. In the right setup its a super chill, reef-safe character fish, but the big trick is keeping it well-fed in a mature tank so it doesnt slowly waste away.
Ram cichlid (German blue ram / butterfly cichlid)
Mikrogeophagus ramirezi
Rams are tiny little cichlids with big-time attitude (in the cutest way) and insane sparkle-those blues, yellows, and that black face bar really pop when they're happy. They're also one of the warmer-water dwarf cichlids, and they'll show off pair behavior and even spawn on flat stones if you keep the tank clean and calm.
Randall’s shrimp goby
Amblyeleotris randalli
Randall's shrimp goby is that little candy-cane striped goby you'll see parked at the entrance of a burrow, doing sentry duty like it's getting paid for it. The really fun part is the partnership with a pistol shrimp-goby keeps watch, shrimp does the digging, and they basically run a tiny construction site in your sand bed. Give it a cozy sand area and a few rubble bits and it'll settle in and start acting like it owns the place (in the cutest way).
Rausu sculpin
Icelus sekii
A tiny cold-water sculpin from Hokkaido, Japan, it tucks into rock cracks along the Shiretoko coast and stays near the bottom. Males grow little blade-like flaps on the first dorsal fin, which is a wild detail you only notice up close. Super niche in the hobby, and it absolutely needs chilled, full-strength seawater.
Red Neon Blue-eye (Luminatus Blue-eye)
Pseudomugil luminatus
This little blue-eye is basically a tiny fireworks show-males flash electric blue eyes and red/orange fins and spend half the day showing off to each other. Keep them in a nice-sized group and you'll see constant "dancing" and fin-flaring in the open water, especially over dark substrate and plants.