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
Vanmanenia loach
Vanmanenia ventrosquamata
A rarely seen hillstream lizard-loach from northern Vietnam, this little sucker-bodied grazer hugs rocks and zooms around in the current. It shines in a mature, high-oxygen tank with algae and biofilm to munch, and it will show tons of personality once it settles in.
Vanmanenia loach
Vanmanenia striata
A sleek hillstream loach from Yunnan that hugs rocks and zips along in strong current like a tiny suction-cup surfer. It spends its day grazing biofilm and algae off smooth stones, so a lively, well-oxygenated tank with lots of flow and footprints of rock is where it really shines.
Variable blenny
Starksia variabilis
Tiny Caribbean blenny that hangs out right on the rock, peeking from little cracks like a curious periscope. The lips have neat black bars and the patterning shifts a bit, which is where the whole variable thing comes from. Give it lots of nooks and it will put on fun perch-and-dart antics all day.
Variable platyfish
Xiphophorus variatus
Think of this as the cooler-water cousin of the regular platy that comes in all kinds of colors and patterns. They are lively little livebearers that cruise the whole tank, pick at algae, and pop out fry without much fuss. Give them some plants and a bit of flow and they are a joy to watch.
Variegated cardinalfish
Fowleria variegata
This is a small, mottled reddish-brown cardinalfish that likes to hang around rockwork and rubble and really comes into its own once the lights dim. In a calm reef tank its a super chill, slow swimmer, and if you keep a small group they tend to hover together and look way more natural.
Veilfin tetra
Hyphessobrycon elachys
This is one of those tiny Paraguay-basin tetras that looks kind of understated until the males mature and start throwing those longer, flowy fins - then it gets really classy. Keep them in a proper little group and theyll spend the whole day hovering and cruising the midwater, looking extra sharp over dark substrate and plants.
Velvety sole
Brachirus villosus
This is a true freshwater sole from New Guinea that spends most of its life glued to the bottom and buried in soft sand. It is one of those blink-and-you-miss-it fish during the day, then you catch it cruising the substrate at feeding time looking for meaty bits.
Vietnamese bitterling
Acheilognathus fasciodorsalis
Acheilognathus fasciodorsalis is a freshwater bitterling endemic to Vietnam. Like other bitterlings (Acheilognathidae), reproduction involves females using an ovipositor to deposit eggs in freshwater mussels.
Virgatula dwarf pike cichlid
Wallaciia virgatula
This is one of the little "dwarf" pike cichlids (recently moved out of Crenicichla into Wallaciia), so you get that sleek pike-cichlid look and attitude in a genuinely small package. Expect a smart, ambushy micro-predator vibe - it will hang around cover, watch everything, then dart in like a mini torpedo when food hits the water.
Vitiaz wolf-eelpout
Lycenchelys vitiazi
Lycenchelys vitiazi is a tiny deep-sea wolf-eelpout from the Kuril-Kamchatka Trench, and it is one of those weird, super-elongate trench fishes that basically never shows up in the hobby. It has only been recorded from very deep water near Paramushir Island, so its real "care" is more of a science/lab thing than an aquarium fish situation.
Vivaldi's catshark
Bythaelurus vivaldii
This is a small deep-water catshark from off Somalia, named after the composer Antonio Vivaldi. It tops out around a foot long but lives down hundreds of meters where the water is cold and dim, so it is a look-don't-keep species for hobbyists.
Vogelkop river garfish
Zenarchopterus ornithocephala
A slim, surface-cruising halfbeak from the Bird's Head (Vogelkop) Peninsula of West Papua, Indonesia. It hangs right under the surface and snaps up insects with that quirky long lower jaw, so a tight lid and some floating cover are must-haves. Not a beginner fish, but super cool to watch once it settles in.