Search Species
Search for fish species by common or scientific name, or use filters to browse by water type, size, temperament, and difficulty.
Found 654 species
Polynesian chromis
Pycnochromis bami
This is a tiny, reef-associated chromis from the South Pacific that stays out in the water column picking at plankton. It is kind of a sneaky-cool fish: mostly brown, but with a sharp white tail that really pops when it is moving in a little group.
Poso halfbeak
Nomorhamphus celebensis
This is a cool little Sulawesi halfbeak that spends most of its time cruising the surface and picking food right off the top. They do best in a small group with lots of surface cover (floating plants are perfect), and they really reward you if you keep the water clean and stable. Also worth knowing: a lot of info online mixes up their exact habitat, and that can lead people to keep them too warm.
Productus suckermouth catfish
Chiloglanis productus
This is a tiny African suckermouth catfish from fast, clear tributary streams feeding Lake Tanganyika - think boulders, gravel, and current. Its little suction-cup mouth is built for clinging to rocks in flow, and males have a more drawn-out caudal fin shape (which is literally what productus is referring to). If you like oddball hillstream-style setups, this one fits that vibe perfectly.
Promethean goby
Varicus prometheus
Tiny deep-reef goby with a bright yellow body and chunky brown saddle markings that pop in photos. It was only just described in 2023 from 247 m off Roatan, so it is a true unicorn for hobbyists and basically never seen in the trade. If anyone ever tried it, think cold, dim, super-stable conditions more like a chilled deepwater setup than a warm reef tank.
Pseudomussullah barb
Hypselobarbus pseudomussullah
This is a Western Ghats river barb from India that gets to a solid hand-sized fish, built for cruising midwater in current. Its whole claim to fame is how close it looks to Hypselobarbus mussullah - it was literally described as the 'pseudo' mussullah - so it is the kind of fish that can be mis-ID'd in the trade if it ever shows up.
Pullus viviparous brotula
Nielsenichthys pullus
This is a tiny little livebearing brotula from reefy coastal waters around Bali, Indonesia, topping out at only about 3.8 cm standard length. It is basically a secretive, bottom-hugging marine fish you would expect to live tucked into cracks and crevices, and its whole genus is just this one species.
Punk pleco
Neblinichthys pilosus
This is that weirdly awesome little pleco with the punk-rock bristles - mature males get those spiky odontodes on the head and snout that make it look like it rolled out of a 1980s show. It stays pretty small for a pleco, but it is a true wild-type fish from remote Venezuela, so it does best in a clean, oxygen-rich setup with lots of flow and hiding spots.
Pygmy corydoras
Corydoras pygmaeus
Pygmy cories are tiny little armored catfish that do this super-cool thing most cories don't: they'll cruise around in the midwater in a loose school instead of just shuffling along the bottom. Give them a soft sandy substrate, lots of plants to weave through, and a proper group, and they turn into nonstop little busybodies.
Pygmy madtom
Noturus stanauli
This is a tiny North American catfish from Tennessee's Clinch and Duck rivers that spends its days tucked under small rocks and comes out around dusk. Males guard small clutches of big eggs, which is fun to watch if you ever see footage from conservation hatcheries. It is federally endangered, so it is a fish for biologists with permits, not home aquariums.
Qianlabeo
Qianlabeo striatus
Qianlabeo striatus is a tiny, river-dwelling labeonin carp from Guizhou, China (Pearl River drainage) that stays under about 3.5 inches. It is the only species in its genus, and in the aquarium hobby it is basically a "data-poor" fish - you will likely be guessing a bit on care unless you can match it to its exact natural stream conditions.
Raconda
Raconda russeliana
A pelagic-neritic pristigasterid (longfin herring) occurring in marine coastal waters and often in estuaries; elongate, compressed body with a sharp keel of scutes and a very long anal fin; feeds mainly on prawns (especially Acetes) and also copepods.
Rainford's goby
Koumansetta rainfordi
This little goby is a tiny striped hoverer that spends its day scooting between rock crevices and pecking at the sand and micro-stuff on the rocks. In the right setup its a super chill, reef-safe character fish, but the big trick is keeping it well-fed in a mature tank so it doesnt slowly waste away.