Search Species
Search for fish species by common or scientific name, or use filters to browse by water type, size, temperament, and difficulty.
Found 74 species
Fat sleeper
Dormitator maculatus
Dormitator maculatus is that chunky "sleeper goby" type fish with the bulldog head and the attitude of a little vacuum cleaner-always sifting and nosing around the bottom. It'll do freshwater or brackish and it can get way bigger than most people expect, so it's one of those fish that's awesome... as long as you plan the tank around the adult size, not the baby you bought.
Feathered river-garfish
Zenarchopterus dispar
Zenarchopterus dispar is a surface-hanging halfbeak from mangroves and sheltered bays, with that classic long lower jaw for snapping up insects and other floaty foods. Males get those funky elongated fin rays (the "feathered" look), and they are livebearers, so once they settle in you can occasionally get surprise babies. Biggest thing with this fish is giving it calm water up top, room to cruise, and a tight lid because halfbeaks can rocket-jump.
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Figure 8 Puffer (Eyespot puffer)
Dichotomyctere ocellatus (syn. Tetraodon biocellatus)
This is the small "Figure 8"/eyespot puffer with two bold eyespots and a yellow-green maze-like pattern. They're interactive and can be fin-nippy and territorial, especially toward other puffers. Husbandry advice on salinity varies by source: FishBase lists it as a freshwater species, while many aquarium references recommend low-end brackish (often around SG ~1.005-1.008) for long-term keeping, with very clean, stable water.
Flag-tailed glass perchlet
Ambassis miops
Ambassis miops is a small, see-through little perchlet from Indo-Pacific estuaries and river mouths - you can often see the silvery organs and spine line inside the body when it turns just right. They tend to hang out in loose groups along weedy edges in slow-to-moderate flow, and that flag-like tail pattern is the quick giveaway once you spot it.
Four-Eyed Fish
Anableps anableps
This is that wild-looking surface cruiser with the "four eyes" - each eye is split so it can watch above and below the water at the same time. It's super active and always patrolling the top, and it really shines in a long tank with room to zoom. Just don't treat it like a regular freshwater fish; it's way happier in brackish water and needs open surface space.
Four-eyed sleeper
Bostrychus sinensis
This is one of those chunky "sit-and-watch" gobies that looks like it's always plotting something-big head, tough little body, and a real ambush-predator vibe. It'll perch on the bottom like a log and then suddenly lunge when food comes by, which is honestly super fun to watch. Just don't expect it to play nice with tiny tankmates-anything that fits in its mouth is basically on the menu.
Green chromide
Etroplus suratensis
This is that big, chunky Indian/Sri Lankan cichlid that looks like it's sprinkled with little "pearl" flecks on each scale once it colors up. It's a brackish-leaning grazer that loves to pick at algae/plant matter and it gets way more interesting in a group-plus the parents do classic cichlid guard-the-eggs-and-fry behavior.
Green Spotted Puffer
Tetraodon nigroviridis
Green spotted puffers are little water puppies with fins-super curious, always watching you, and they'll beg like they've never been fed in their life. The bright green-and-black spotting stays eye-catching, and they've got that classic puffer "I'm plotting something" face. Just know they're not a true freshwater fish long-term, and they really do need crunchy foods to keep their teeth worn down.
Guinean sole
Synaptura cadenati
Synaptura cadenati is a West African sole that lives right on the bottom over sand and mud, usually in shallow coastal water. It is a flatfish with little white spotting on the eyed side, and it tops out around 35 cm - more of a food-fish than something you will realistically see (or want) in a home aquarium.
Hairy pipefish
Urocampus carinirostris
This is a tiny, stick-thin pipefish that lives in seagrass and algae beds and uses its prehensile tail to hang on like a little underwater chameleon. The coolest part is the "hairy" fringing (little filaments) all over the body that breaks up its outline, and like other syngnathids the male carries the eggs in a brood pouch under the tail.
Hermaphroditus mangrove killifish
Kryptolebias hermaphroditus
This is one of those weirdly amazing little mangrove killifish where most individuals are self-fertile hermaphrodites, so a single fish can produce eggs on its own. In the wild its tied to Brazilian mangroves and coastal canals, and it tends to live a pretty secretive, solo life in shallow, mucky, low-oxygen spots.
Humpbacked cardinalfish
Yarica hyalosoma
This is a chunky little cardinalfish that hangs out in mangrove creeks and river mouths, often in small groups in shallow, shady water. The look is super distinctive - pale/translucent body, and that bold black spot at the base of the tail - and like a lot of cardinalfish, the males mouthbrood the eggs.