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
Spotted Mandarin Dragonet (Picturesque/Psychedelic Mandarin)
Synchiropus picturatus
This little dragonet is basically a living piece of reef art-chunky fins, goofy "hovering" swimming, and those crazy psychedelic spots that look painted on. The big thing with them is they're constant pickers, cruising rockwork all day hunting tiny critters, so they're happiest in a mature tank with tons of pods (or a keeper who's ready to meet them halfway on food). If you like chill fish with tons of personality that don't bother anyone, mandarin time is hard to beat.
Spotted robust triplefin
Forsterygion capito
This is a little New Zealand triplefin that hangs out in rock pools and shallow sheltered reefs, perched on rocks and scooting around to hunt tiny critters. The cool part is the breeding behavior - the male sets up and guards a nest under a rock, and they can darken up a lot in season.
Spotted spikefish
Hollardia meadi
Hollardia meadi is a tiny deepwater spikefish from the western Atlantic with a super cool pink-and-spot pattern and those lockable spines that make the whole family look like little armored oddballs. Its a rocky-bottom, reef-associated fish that lives way deeper than typical reef tank temps, so its basically a no-go for normal home aquariums unless youre set up for chilled deepwater marine.
Spotted Stargazer
Ichthyscopus sannio
This is that big burrowing stargazer from eastern Australia that hides in the sand with just its eyes and upturned mouth peeking out. It is a serious ambush predator that inhales fish and crustaceans whole, so it needs a huge sandy tank and tankmates it cannot fit in its mouth.
Spotted tinselfish
Xenolepidichthys dalgleishi
This is a quirky deepwater tinselfish with a shiny silver body sprinkled in black polka-dots. Juveniles sport crazy-long fin spines, and the species lives way down the continental slopes in cold, dim water. It is a marine oddball and not a realistic home-aquarium fish.
Stareater
Astronesthes zetgibbsi
A small pelagic-oceanic marine snaggletooth (family Stomiidae) known from the South Pacific high seas, reported from roughly 40–120 m depth and reaching about 10.3 cm SL (female).
Steindachner's drum
Umbrina steindachneri
Umbrina steindachneri is a West African marine croaker/drum that hangs around sandy-mud bottoms in deeper coastal water. It tops out around 47 cm (about 18.5 inches), so its size alone is the big reason it is not really an aquarium fish even though it is super cool as a real-deal saltwater surf and shelf species.
Stippled spoon-nose eel
Echiophis punctifer
Echiophis punctifer (stippled spoon-nose eel) is a large marine snake eel that burrows in soft substrates such as sand or mud. Reported maximum length is up to about 180 cm TL; due to size and burrowing behavior, it is best suited to very large, escape-proof marine systems and a carnivorous diet.
Striated blenny
Hypsoblennius striatus
Hypsoblennius striatus (striated blenny) is a small combtooth blenny from the eastern-central Pacific (around Costa Rica and Panama). Like other blennies, it is associated with shallow rocky/reef habitats, and its eggs are demersal and adhesive, attached to the substrate.
Striped clingfish
Derilissus vittiger
This is a tiny little Western Atlantic clingfish that lives down on deeper reefs and clings to hard stuff with its belly suction disk. Its whole vibe is cryptic and hidey, more like a micro-predator you would spot while peering into reef rockwork than a fish that cruises around the tank. Honestly, it is super cool biologically, but it is not a realistic home-aquarium species for most people.
Striped goby
Gobius vittatus
A small Mediterranean marine goby found mainly on coralligenous/rocky bottoms (often ~15-50+ m), known for its pale body with a dark lateral stripe; it is shy and retreats quickly to crevices. In aquaria it is a cool-water Mediterranean species rather than a typical tropical reef goby.
Striped weever
Trachinus lineolatus
Trachinus lineolatus (striped weever) is a small marine demersal weeverfish from the eastern Atlantic off West Africa, reaching about 15 cm. Like other weevers (Trachinidae), it has venom-associated spines (first dorsal and opercular) that can inflict very painful stings; extreme caution is required if handled.