Search Species
Search for fish species by common or scientific name, or use filters to browse by water type, size, temperament, and difficulty.
Found 424 species
Reticulate clingfish
Tomicodon lavettsmithi
This is a tiny little clingfish from the NW Caribbean that spends its life plastered to rubble and shells in super-shallow water. It has that classic clingfish suction disc, so it can hang on in surge and pick at small prey right on the bottom. Not really a "community tank" fish - its whole vibe is cryptic, rock-hugging micro-predator in a saltwater nano.
Reticulate round ray
Urotrygon reticulata
A small, demersal round ray endemic to the Gulf of Panama that inhabits shallow sandy bottoms. Like other stingrays it has a venomous tail spine, and it is assessed as Critically Endangered (IUCN, assessed 24 Jan 2020), so it should not be targeted for aquarium trade.
Rikuzen flounder
Dexistes rikuzenius
Dexistes rikuzenius is a demersal right-eyed flounder (Pleuronectidae) from the NW Pacific (Japan/Korea), living on sandy/muddy bottoms at ~42–200 m and feeding on benthic invertebrates.
Rippled rockskipper
Istiblennius edentulus
This is a tidepool combtooth blenny that basically lives life on the edge - it hangs in super-shallow rocky spots and can even air-breathe and hop between pools when it feels like it. Give it lots of rockwork and a covered tank, and it will perch, watch you, and cruise around grazing film algae like a little saltwater lawnmower with attitude.
River garfish (halfbeak)
Zenarchopterus clarus
Zenarchopterus clarus is a true halfbeak - that long lower jaw is built for picking stuff off the surface. Its a tropical, surface-cruising fish from the Western Central Pacific (Thailand and Borneo), and it reproduces via internal fertilization with ovoviviparous young.
Robust assfish
Bassozetus robustus
Bassozetus robustus (robust assfish) is a deep-sea marine cusk-eel (Ophidiidae) with a circumglobal distribution in tropical to temperate waters. It occurs at great depths (reported to >1000 m and to over 4000 m). Reproduction is oviparous and has been described as producing buoyant/pelagic eggs (reported as occurring in a gelatinous egg mass in some references). It is not an aquarium species, as its habitat conditions (depth/pressure and deep-sea environment) cannot be replicated in typical home systems.
Roule's abyssal cusk
Barathronus roulei
Barathronus roulei is a deep-sea bythitid/brotula-type fish from the Northeast Atlantic, recorded from deep water (e.g., ~1349 m). It is extremely rarely encountered and not an aquarium species due to collection and decompression/pressure constraints.
Roule's smooth-head
Rouleina livida
Rouleina livida is a deep-sea slickhead (family Alepocephalidae) that lives way down in the bathypelagic zone, not something you will ever see in the aquarium trade. It tops out around 34 cm standard length and has those classic deep-sea vibes like huge eyes plus little light organs (photophores) around the head and jaw.
Roundel batfish
Zalieutes elater
Zalieutes elater is a weird little "walking" batfish that lives on sand and mud bottoms and basically scoots around like a tiny sea creature robot. The coolest giveaway is the pair of orange-and-black eye-spots (ocelli) on its back, plus it has a short anglerfish-style lure it uses to ambush small crustaceans and fish.
Roundtail duckbill
Bembrops greyi
The roundtail duckbill (Bembrops greyae) has the classic duckbill appearance with its broad, flattened head and a mouth designed for catching prey. Its natural home is way down on the slope, so its care is basically "public-aquarium only" rather than something that realistically fits a normal home setup.
Royal codling
Urophycis mystacea
This is a deepwater hake from the Southwest Atlantic, hanging over muddy and sandy bottoms a couple hundred meters down. It maxes out around two feet and snacks on shrimps, crabs, and squid, so it is a public-aquarium fish at best. Super cool chin barbel and classic codling look, but way too big and cold for home tanks.
Royal gramma
Gramma loreto
Royal grammas are that classic purple-to-yellow Caribbean basslet that likes to claim a cave and hover around it (sometimes totally upside-down under a ledge). They're usually chill with tankmates, but they can get spicy with other grammas/basslets/dottybacks if space is tight-give them rockwork and a "home" cave and they settle right in.