Search Species
Search for fish species by common or scientific name, or use filters to browse by water type, size, temperament, and difficulty.
Found 541 species
Creek loach
Schistura beavani
Schistura beavani is a little river loach that wants that brisk, oxygen-rich stream vibe - smooth stones, sandy patches, and enough flow that you can see the fish perk up and start cruising. In a group they get way more confident, and you will sometimes spot that classic Schistura behavior of nosing into the sand and wedging into tight spots. It is also one of those fish that gets mislabeled in shops, so buying from a source that can ID them well is a big deal.
Cricare killifish
Xenurolebias cricarensis
This is a tiny Brazilian annual killifish from temporary marshes in the rio Sao Mateus (rio Cricare) floodplain. In the wet season it grows fast, colors up, spawns in the bottom, and the eggs ride out the dry season in the substrate - super cool life cycle, but it also means its not a long-lived "pet fish" the way most community fish are.
Critter Goby
Lentipes crittersius
Tiny stream goby from West Papua that sticks to rocks and loves fast, super-clean water. It spends the day scooting over stones to graze algae and biofilm, then dashes into the current like a little surfer. Give it a mature, high-flow tank and it will show loads of personality.
Darkspotted catfish
Aspidoras fuscoguttatus
Think of this one like a tiny Cory cousin with a busier little spot pattern and a ton of "shuffle and sift" energy on the bottom. It is happiest when you keep a proper little group and give it sand, plants, and some cover so it feels secure enough to cruise around in the open.
darter characin
Melanocharacidium rex
A chunky little bottom-hopper from the upper Amazon, this species perches on stones and makes short dashes to snatch drifting insects. It grows bigger than most of its relatives, so it really shines in a longer tank with good flow and a sandy, rock-strewn layout. Watching a group scoot and perch in the current is half the fun.
Darwin's knifefish
Gymnotus darwini
Gymnotus darwini is a smaller banded knifefish from coastal river drainages in Pernambuco, northeastern Brazil. Like other Gymnotus, it navigates and hunts using a weak electric field and tends to be most active after lights-out, cruising along the bottom and through cover. It is a cool oddball fish, but its exact aquarium needs are not well documented because it is a recently described species and not common in the trade.
Datangzi Marsh Yunnan loach
Yunnanilus macrogaster
This is a little Chinese stone loach from a weedy marsh system in Yunnan, and it tops out around 7 cm (under 3 inches). Its name literally points at the chunky, swollen-belly look (macrogaster = large stomach), and it is an insect-and-worm picker that hangs along the bottom.
Day's catfish
Nedystoma dayi
Nedystoma dayi is a small ariid catfish from turbid freshwater rivers in central-southern New Guinea. Its whole vibe is lurking along the bottom in murky water and picking off aquatic insect larvae, so its look and lifestyle are very much a "river-bottom" fish rather than a showy planted-tank centerpiece.
Declivitas mbuna
Iodotropheus declivitas
Iodotropheus declivitas is a little Lake Malawi mbuna that hangs around rocky reefs and spends a lot of its day picking at algae and tiny bits of food off the rocks. It stays pretty small for an mbuna, but it still does that classic cichlid thing of claiming a cave and showing off once it settles in. The big catch is its ID and availability - its often discussed alongside (and sometimes confused with) Iodotropheus sprengerae.
Deepwater airbreathing catfish
Bathyclarias atribranchus
This is one of Lake Malawi's weird, deep-living clariid catfish, hanging out on the bottom below about 70 m in the wild. What makes it extra cool is the dark, almost black gill filaments and suprabranchial (air-breathing) organ that the species is named for. Not really an aquarium fish in any normal sense - it gets big and comes from deep water.
Denison barb
Sahyadria denisonii
This is that sleek "torpedo" barb with the red racing stripe and black line-built for constant cruising in the middle of the tank. They're happiest in a proper group with lots of open swim room and really clean, oxygen-rich water with some flow. Get a school going and they look like a little pack of mini river missiles.
Densely scaled Yunnan loach
Yunnanilus polylepis
Yunnanilus polylepis is a tiny, newly-described stone loach from Yunnan, China that lives over plants in a deep pool, not a raging riffle. Males and females even look different (males show a dark side stripe), and the species name is literally about having lots of scales, which is a fun oddball trait for this group.