Search Species
Search for fish species by common or scientific name, or use filters to browse by water type, size, temperament, and difficulty.
Found 528 species
Bakemutsu
Verilus pacificus
Bakemutsu is a deepwater ocean-bass from the western-central Pacific that cruises rocky island slopes and seamounts, topping out around 40 cm. It likes cool saltwater for a marine fish - roughly 13-23 C - and lives 60-500 m down, so it is more of a specialist oddball than a home-aquarium candidate. Taxonomically it was long placed in Neoscombrops and is now treated as Verilus, which adds a fun bit of fish-nerd trivia. ([fishbase.se](https://fishbase.se/summary/SpeciesSummary.php?id=23391))
Banded stargazer
Kathetostoma binigrasella
This is a New Zealand stargazer that lives half-buried in sand or mud with its eyes pointed up, waiting to rocket upward and nail passing prey. It has those neat dark saddle-bands across the back (especially as a juvenile), and like other stargazers it is venomous with spines near the gill cover/pectoral area - definitely a look-dont-touch fish.
Bandfin scorpionfish
Scorpaenopsis vittapinna
Think tiny ambush predator that vanishes into rubble and coral bits, then flashes a dark band on its pelvic and anal fins when it shifts. It tops out around 3 inches, packs venomous spines, and loves to gulp unsuspecting shrimp and small fish. Super cool to watch once it settles, but it absolutely demands careful handling and smart tankmate choices.
Banggai Cardinalfish
Pterapogon kauderni
Banggai cardinals just sort of hover like little underwater satellites, and the bold black bars with those long, polka-dotted fins look unreal under reef lighting. They're super chill most of the time, but once a pair forms you'll see real "fish drama," and the male will even mouthbrood the babies like a champ.
Barbados vent eelpout
Thermarces pelophilum
This is a deep-sea eelpout that was collected at cold seeps off Barbados - think pitch-black, high-pressure ocean bottom, not an aquarium fish. It tops out around 12.4 cm and basically lives in a world of mud, methane, and seep life, which is a pretty wild niche for a fish.
Barbedwire-tailed skate
Notoraja martinezi
Notoraja martinezi is a deepwater skate from the eastern Pacific (Costa Rica down to Ecuador) that lives way down on soft bottoms. The tail is the giveaway - it is lined with strong, hooked thorns that really do look like barbed wire. This is absolutely not an aquarium fish; it is a cold, high-pressure deep-sea animal with basically no practical home care info because it is not kept in the hobby.
Barlip reef-eel
Uropterygius kamar
Uropterygius kamar is a smaller moray (a reef-eel) that spends its time tucked into rockwork and coral rubble, poking its head out when it smells food. FishBase notes it comes in two color morphs and lives on reef-associated rubble areas, so in a tank it really appreciates lots of tight caves and crevices. Like most morays its whole vibe is secretive ambush predator, not open-water swimmer.
Barred-chin blenny
Rhabdoblennius nitidus
A small intertidal combtooth blenny from the Western Pacific, usually found in surge channels and tide pools exposed to heavy surf. Males court females to spawn in crevices and then guard and fan the adhesive eggs until hatching. It is uncommon in the trade but adapts well to reef-like aquaria with ample rock holes, good flow, and stable marine chemistry.
Barred knifejaw
Oplegnathus fasciatus
Big, bold black-and-white bars and a parrot-like beak make this fish a total showstopper. Juveniles drift with rafts of seaweed, then settle onto rocky reefs where that fused "beak" crunches crabs, shellfish, and urchins. It gets huge, is not reef safe, and really belongs in a very large, fish-only marine system.
Barred snake eel
Quassiremus polyclitellum
This is a temperate, demersal snake eel (Ophichthidae) known from New Zealand, collected from moderately deep water over rocky ground (reported depth range ~35–58 m). It is not commonly represented in aquarium care literature and should be considered a wild marine species rather than a typical aquarium trade eel.
Barrier reef anemonefish
Amphiprion akindynos
This is one of the cooler Great Barrier Reef clowns - orange-brown with two crisp white bars edged in black and that pale tail. Give it a spot to claim (ideally with an anemone or at least a comfy coral substitute) and it will settle in hard, pair up, and act like the little boss of its corner.
Ben-Tuvia's goby
Didogobius bentuvii
This is a tiny little Mediterranean goby from the Israeli coast that lives down on the bottom over muddy-sand, and it is likely a burrower. In other words, it is a blink-and-you-miss-it kind of fish - super small, demersal, and more about sneaky bottom-dweller vibes than flashy swimming.