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 249 species
Samariscus triocellatus
This is a tiny little Indo-Pacific flounder that lives right on sand and rubble around reefs, and it can be ridiculously hard to spot once it settles in. The coolest part is the three eye-like spots (ocelli) and the way it kind of creeps along the bottom hunting small benthic critters at dusk.
Liparis florae
This is a little coldwater snailfish that literally lives in tide pools on exposed Pacific coast rock, hiding under algae and stones when the surf is crashing. It has that classic soft, tadpole-ish snailfish look and a suction-disk belly, so it can cling in place instead of getting tossed around. Super cool fish biologically, but it is absolutely not a normal home-aquarium species unless youre set up for a chilled marine system.
Valenciennea wardii
This is one of those classic sand-sifting sleeper gobies that will stay busy all day taking mouthfuls of sand, picking out tiny foods, and spitting the clean sand back out. Super chill temperament, but it really wants a mature tank with a real sandbed so it can do its thing without slowly starving. Also heads-up: they can redecorate by burying frags and making little bulldozer trenches.
Uranoscopus tosae
Uranoscopus tosae is a stargazer that lives out on deeper sandy-muddy bottoms and does the classic stargazer thing - buries itself and waits to ambush prey. It is a venomous, bottom-sitting predator from the western Pacific, and it is really more of an ocean fishery/bycatch species than anything you would realistically keep in a home aquarium.
Uranoscopus cognatus
Uranoscopus cognatus is a chunky little stargazer that spends its life on the bottom, often buried with just the eyes and mouth peeking up like a grumpy sand-trap. It is a marine ambush predator from the Indo-west Pacific, and while it is super cool to look at, it is really not a practical aquarium fish unless you are set up for a specialized predator tank.
Upeneus vanuatu
Upeneus vanuatu is a small deep-water goatfish from off Vanuatu that lives way down around 191-321 m, so its natural water is cooler and darker than typical reef goatfish. Like other goatfish it has the little chin barbels for rooting around for food, but honestly this one is more of a scientific oddball than a realistic aquarium fish because of the depth it comes from.
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.
Lepidotrigla vaubani
Lepidotrigla vaubani is a small, bottom-dwelling marine gurnard (sea robin) from the western Pacific. Like other gurnards its "walking" pectoral fin rays are the fun part - it creeps along the seafloor poking around for little crustaceans and worms, way more personality than you would expect from a bycatch-type fish.
Ophioscion vermicularis
Eastern Pacific marine demersal croaker found over sandy and muddy bottoms in shallow waters; feeds on benthic invertebrates and is common in local markets. Aquarium care information is limited compared with typical ornamental marine species.
Takifugu snyderi
Takifugu snyderi (vermiculated puffer; Japanese: shōsai-fugu) is a demersal coastal puffer native to Japan and nearby northwest Pacific waters (including the Yellow Sea and South China Sea). It reaches about 30 cm standard length and feeds on hard-shelled prey such as crustaceans; like other fugu, certain organs (notably liver/ovaries) can be highly toxic (tetrodotoxin).
Wetmorella albofasciata
This is one of those tiny, cryptic wrasses that spends a lot of time weaving through rockwork and poking into little cracks like it is on a constant scavenger hunt. The big eyes and sharp snout give it a weird-cute "mini predator" look, and it really shines in a peaceful reef where it feels safe enough to come out and cruise.
Pseudocheilinus ocellatus
This is the fish most of us know as the Mystery Wrasse - a shy little reef wrasse with a bright yellow face, faint-to-bold white bars, and that signature eyespot back by the tail. It spends a lot of time weaving through rockwork and popping out to hunt tiny critters, and it can get surprisingly bossy once it feels settled in. Give it caves, a tight lid, and a steady meaty diet and it turns into a really fun, personable showpiece.