Search Species
Search for fish species by common or scientific name, or use filters to browse by water type, size, temperament, and difficulty.
Water Type
Search for fish species by common or scientific name, or use filters to browse by water type, size, temperament, and difficulty.
Found 351 species
Dicrossus filamentosus
Dicrossus filamentosus is that classy little blackwater dwarf cichlid with the crisp "chessboard" pattern and, in mature males, a super cool lyretail with streamers. It's generally mellow and shy, but when a female is guarding eggs/fry she turns into a tiny, fearless bulldozer (and it's honestly awesome to watch). Give them soft, clean water, leaf litter, and calm tankmates and they really settle in and show their best colors.
Jinshaia sinensis
Jinshaia sinensis is one of those slick, fast-water loaches built for life clinging to rocks in strong current - big fins, low profile, and always looking for biofilm to pick at. It can do great in a purpose-built river tank with tons of oxygen and flow, but it is not the kind of loach that tolerates "average community tank" conditions for long.
Ptereleotris zebra
Ptereleotris zebra is one of those slick, torpedo-shaped dartfish that likes to hover in the water column, then instantly zip back into a bolt-hole when it gets spooked. In the wild it hangs out on exposed seaward reefs in groups, often in current, and in a tank the big thing is giving it open swim room plus tight cover because it is absolutely a jumper.
Rineloricaria lanceolata
This is a slim little whiptail (a Loricariid) that spends most of its time gliding over sand and leaves, picking at biofilm like a tiny vacuum cleaner. Give it driftwood, caves, and calm tankmates and it turns into a super chill, sneaky-bottom-dweller with that awesome long whip tail and high dorsal fin.
Bollmannia litura
Bollmannia litura (citrine goby) is a western Atlantic goby associated with soft substrates; published records place it over mud and mixed-mud bottoms at roughly 12.8–71 m depth in the western Caribbean.
Stiphodon semoni
Stiphodon semoni is one of those little river gobies that spends its whole day perched on rocks, scooting around, and grazing biofilm/aufwuchs like a tiny underwater goat. Give it clean, oxygen-rich water and a nice algae-y rockscape, and the males especially can look unreal with that blue-green sheen and bands.
Fusigobius neophytus
This is a tiny reef-associated sand goby that hangs out over sand and rubble patches near coral, usually solo or in loose little groups. Its semi-translucent gray body is peppered with fine spots and it blends in amazingly well, then you catch that little black spot on the first dorsal fin and go, oh there it is. In a tank it is all about having sand to perch on and plenty of calm, peaceful neighbors so it is not bullied.
Otocinclus vittatus
O. vittatus is that tiny little "oto" you see plastered to plant leaves and the glass, just quietly vacuuming up soft algae and biofilm all day. The big trick with them is they're amazing grazers, but they can absolutely run out of food in a too-clean/new tank, so you've got to plan on supplementing with algae wafers/blanched veg.
Zaireichthys compactus
This is one of those tiny African sand-dwelling loach catfish that likes to hug the bottom and vanish into the substrate. In the wild it comes from fast-flowing, muddy-brown water with mixed sand, mud, and rocky areas, so in a tank it really appreciates flow, oxygen, and a soft sandy spot to scoot around on.
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.
Lucifuga subterranea
This is one of Cuba's weird, wonderful cave brotulas - pale, blind, and built for cruising around in dark cave pools and sinkholes. It is a livebearer (yep, it gives birth to fully formed young), and it hunts small crustaceans in those underground waters.
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.