Search Species
Search for fish species by common or scientific name, or use filters to browse by water type, size, temperament, and difficulty.
Found 528 species
Snake eel
Cirrhimuraena cheilopogon
A shy sand-burrower from Papua New Guinea, this snake eel spends most of the day hidden with just its head poking out like a little periscope. It is a specialist predator and a serious escape artist, so it needs deep sand and a rock-solid lid if anyone ever attempts it in a tank.
Snaketooth
Kali kerberti
Picture a skinny deep-sea hunter with a mouth full of needle-teeth - that is Kali kerberti. It cruises way down at roughly 800-2500 m in near-freezing water and tops out around 19 cm, so it is not a home-aquarium candidate. Fascinating fish to read about, but best admired in the ocean.
Snoutscale Whiptail
Ventrifossa johnboborum
A deep-sea rattail from the Indo-Pacific, this guy lives way down on the continental slope and has a long whippy tail and big eyes built for the dark. It hits around 47 cm and hangs out 540-810 m deep in 2-10 C water, picking at small fish and invertebrates. Super cool to read about, but it is not a home aquarium candidate unless you have a research-lab setup.
Snub-nose snake eel
Kertomichthys blastorhinos
This is a weird little deepwater snake eel with a short, club-shaped snout and a burrowing, bottom-hugging lifestyle. It is basically a science-only fish - it's known from a single specimen collected off French Guiana, so there is no real aquarium trade care info to lean on.
Southern banded guitarfish
Zapteryx xyster
This is a little guitarfish from the tropical eastern Pacific that cruises sandy and rocky bottoms and comes out more at night to hunt. The coolest thing on adults is the yellow ocelli (eyespots) sitting in the dark bands across the back - it looks like someone dotted it with paint. It is a true saltwater ray-like elasmobranch, so think big footprint, lots of sand, and a heavy meaty diet.
Southern cardinalfish
Vincentia conspersa
This is a cool little temperate Aussie cardinalfish that spends the day tucked into caves and reef cracks, then comes out at night to hunt tiny crustaceans. The really neat part is breeding behavior - the male mouthbroods the eggs, so if you ever get a pair to spawn you will see him holding a big egg mass in his mouth for a while. Its a marine fish from southern Australia, so think "cooler reef tank" rather than a tropical reef setup.
Southern lightfish
Ichthyococcus australis
This is a deep-ocean little lightfish that lives way down in the dark and uses photophores (tiny light organs) for camouflage and signaling. It is a pelagic marine species from the southern hemisphere, and its whole vibe is "midwater stealth" rather than anything you would ever keep like a normal aquarium fish.
Southern opah
Lampris immaculatus
A stunning, round-bodied ocean wanderer with bright red fins, the southern opah looks like a giant metallic coin cruising the cold southern seas. It hangs out deep and cool, munching squid, small fish, and krill, and sometimes even follows fishing boats for an easy meal. Gorgeous fish, but truly a public-aquarium-only species, not a home tank candidate.
Southern Smiler
Opistognathus jacksoniensis
Australian jawfish found over sand/rubble near reefs where it constructs a burrow. Field references report it from ~20–30 m and often 30–50 m depths, suggesting it may be a deeper/temperate-affiliated species; aquarium care information appears limited compared to commonly kept tropical jawfishes. If attempted, provide deep mixed substrate with rubble/shell for burrow building and a tightly covered aquarium due to jumping risk.
Southwell's pipefish
Siokunichthys southwelli
A tiny tropical marine pipefish from Sri Lanka and the Philippines. Like many syngnathids, it is a slow, deliberate feeder that may require abundant small live foods and low-competition tankmates in captivity.
Specklefin midshipman
Porichthys myriaster
This quirky toadfish has rows of glow spots that look like brass buttons, and it hums at night like a tiny boat engine. It buries itself and ambushes prey, so if it can fit something in its mouth, it is on the menu. Super cool fish, but it wants cool saltwater and plenty of meaty food.
Spikefin goby
Discordipinna griessingeri
This is that tiny little reef goby with the crazy tall first dorsal spines and orange striping that makes it look like a living piece of candy. It spends a lot of time tucked into coral rubble and little crevices, then darts out to grab food, so giving it real hiding spots is the whole game. Also, it gets mixed up in the trade with the wrong name sometimes, so its worth double-checking the label before you buy.