Search Species
Search for fish species by common or scientific name, or use filters to browse by water type, size, temperament, and difficulty.
Found 337 species
Yaluwak armored catfish
Yaluwak primus
This is a super rare, fast-water loricariid from the upper Ireng River system in Guyana - the kind of fish most hobbyists will only ever see in a scientific paper. Its neat party trick (for an armored catfish) is a big cluster of evertible cheek odontodes and it even lacks a normal adipose fin, replacing it with a low ridge of plates.
Yangi loach
Yunnanilus yangi
Yunnanilus yangi is a small freshwater stone loach (Nemacheilidae) described in 2024 from Yunnan, China (upper Pearl River/Nanpanjiang drainage). Species-specific aquarium guidance is limited in the literature; husbandry is typically inferred from related small Yunnanilus/Micronemacheilus-type loaches, emphasizing clean, well-oxygenated water, cover, and small foods.
Yellow enteromis
Enteromius cerinus
Enteromius cerinus is a tiny Congo Basin barb that stays under 2 inches and shows a neat pattern of three dark flank spots with a darker midline. It was described in 2024, so it is basically unheard of in the aquarium trade right now, but it reads like a classic little schooling river barb if it ever shows up.
Yellowfin madtom
Noturus flavipinnis
Yellowfin madtoms are tiny, secretive native catfish from the upper Tennessee River system, and they act exactly like little river goblins - hiding under flat rocks all day and cruising around at night. The cool part is the male guards the eggs under cover, and they really appreciate clean, well-oxygenated current and a rock-and-leaf-litter kind of setup.
Yellow phantom tetra
Hyphessobrycon roseus
Hyphessobrycon roseus is a small phantom-type tetra (syn. Megalamphodus roseus) from the Maroni and Oyapock river basins (French Guiana/Guianas region). It is best kept in a planted, softwater setup in a group, where males may display but are generally peaceful.
Yellow-spotted dwarf loach catfish
Zaireichthys flavomaculatus
Zaireichthys flavomaculatus is a truly tiny, bottom-hugging African loach catfish from the Congo basin that spends its time tucked into sand and gaps like a little river goblin. Its yellowish base color with blotchy/marbled spotting is the whole vibe, and it is the kind of fish you keep because you love oddball micro-predators and watching subtle behavior, not because it is always out front.
Yunnanilus longibulla
Yunnanilus longibulla
Tiny stone loach from Yunnan’s Lake Chenghai with a neat party trick - that long swim bladder helps it hover and make quick dashes along the bottom. Think cool, very hard, alkaline water and lots of sand and pebbles to nosh through. It is rarely seen in the trade, so plan for a careful, species-focused setup.
Yunnan jieyu (云南结鱼)
Folifer yunnanensis
A rare freshwater cyprinid endemic to Lake Fuxian (Yunnan, China). Reported maximum length is about 21.5 cm standard length (SL). IUCN status: Endangered (assessment date 19 January 2011). Aquarium care information appears scarce in mainstream hobby references.
Yunnan loach
Eonemachilus altus
A petite stone loach from Yunnan, China, often listed in older books as Yunnanilus altus. It hangs around the bottom sifting for tiny bites and really perks up in a scape with smooth sand, pebbles, and steady current.
Yushan river loach
Hemimyzon yushanensis
This is a little Taiwan hillstream loach that lives its whole life clinging to rocks in fast, super-oxygenated streams. In a tank it does best in a "river" setup with smooth stones and lots of flow, where it will spend all day grazing biofilm and cruising the glass like a tiny underwater gecko.
Zebra Danio
Danio rerio
Zebra danios are those nonstop little stripey rockets that zip around the top and middle of the tank like they've had three espressos. They're super fun in a group because they chase, spar, and "race" each other without really meaning harm, and that constant motion makes the whole tank feel alive.
Zonatus sand catlet
Zaireichthys zonatus
Zaireichthys zonatus is a tiny little Congo River loach catfish that lives in fast, rocky water - it is one of those blink-and-you-miss-it micro predators. In an aquarium it is all about flow, oxygen, and lots of rock crevices, and the coolest part is watching it wedge itself into cracks and scoot around the bottom like a miniature river goblin.