Search Species
Search for fish species by common or scientific name, or use filters to browse by water type, size, temperament, and difficulty.
Found 232 species
Comb flounder
Marleyella bicolorata
Marleyella bicolorata is a small, bottom-hugging marine flatfish from the western Indian Ocean that spends its life laid up on sand or mud. Its eyed side is dark with blotches and bars, so it blends in really well, and it can handle cooler-to-warm tropical temps depending on where it settles. This is a deepwater demersal species, so its needs line up way more with a chilled, specialized marine setup than a typical home reef tank.
Common fusegoby
Fusigobius neophytus
This is a tiny reef-associated sand goby that hangs out over sand and rubble patches near coral, usually solo or in loose little groups. Its semi-translucent gray body is peppered with fine spots and it blends in amazingly well, then you catch that little black spot on the first dorsal fin and go, oh there it is. In a tank it is all about having sand to perch on and plenty of calm, peaceful neighbors so it is not bullied.
Common stinkfish
Foetorepus calauropomus
This is a southern-Australia dragonet with a super long tailfin and a sneaky camouflage look, and the males can actually show some really neat color and filament action when theyre feeling bold. The whole "stinkfish" thing is real too - they have a strong-smelling body slime that can taste bitter and may be toxic, so its not a fish you handle unless you have to.
Compressed ilisha
Ilisha compressa
Ilisha compressa (compressed ilisha) is a Persian Gulf pristigasterid (longfin herring relative) described from the Persian Gulf and generally associated with coastal pelagic/neritic habitats.
Confused lanternfish
Diaphus confusus
Diaphus confusus is a small lanternfish (family Myctophidae) known from the southeastern Pacific, recorded from deep mesopelagic/bathypelagic depths around 545–560 m near the Sala y Gómez Ridge. It is a wild, deepwater species and not realistically maintained as a typical home-aquarium fish due to capture/shipping and pressure/light/feeding constraints.
Dark-barred goatfish
Upeneus luzonius
This is a small demersal goatfish from the western Pacific associated with muddy coastal substrates. It swims in aggregations (sometimes mixed with similar species) and uses chin barbels to forage. It is silvery with a reddish mid-lateral line that breaks into spots and a red bar below the eye.
Diamond Watchman Goby
Valenciennea puellaris
This is that sand-sifting goby you'll see cruising the bottom, taking huge mouthfuls of sand and spitting it out like a little construction crew. It's awesome for keeping a sandy substrate looking clean, but it'll also redecorate-so anything sitting on the sand is gonna get buried or undermined sooner or later. Super cool personality too, especially once it picks a favorite burrow and starts "working" all day.
Disalvo's goby
Kelloggella disalvoi
Kelloggella disalvoi is a tiny little marine goby from Easter Island that tops out at just a couple centimeters, the kind of fish that can disappear in a rockscape if you blink. It is more of a cryptic, tidepool-style goby than a "show fish," so the fun is watching it perch, scoot, and hug the bottom like a little living punctuation mark.
Distant goby
Lythrypnus insularis
Lythrypnus insularis is a tiny little reef goby from the Revillagigedo Islands (Mexico) that hangs tight to rocky reef crevices and walls. Its reddish body with lots of narrow blue bars is super slick up close, and because it is only about an inch long, it lives a very "hide, peek, and dart" kind of life in the rocks.
Dofleini's lanternfish
Lobianchia dofleini
This is a small mesopelagic lanternfish (Myctophidae) with photophores and diel vertical migration behavior. It occurs in the Atlantic Ocean, including the Mediterranean Sea, and is not a realistic home-aquarium species due to deep-pelagic habitat requirements.
Dusky sand eel
Yirrkala fusca
Yirrkala fusca is a little snake eel (worm eel) from the Ophichthidae family that spends its life nosing around sandy or silty bottoms and basically wants to stay hidden. It is not really an aquarium fish - it is small, cryptic, and super prone to escaping unless the tank is built like a fortress.
Duskybanded sole
Zebrias penescalaris
This is a small marine sole (family Soleidae) from southern Australian waters that inhabits soft-bottom (sand/mud) habitats; it is a demersal, sand-associated species with banding patterns used for camouflage.