Search Species
Search for fish species by common or scientific name, or use filters to browse by water type, size, temperament, and difficulty.
Water Type
Search for fish species by common or scientific name, or use filters to browse by water type, size, temperament, and difficulty.
Found 249 species
Urophycis brasiliensis
This is a demersal (bottom-loving) marine codling from the Southwest Atlantic that hangs around the continental shelf and cruises sandy/rocky bottoms looking for food. It is basically a cool, mottled little gadiform with that classic codling vibe - elongated body and a chin barbel - and it is mostly of interest as a food/fishery species rather than something you would ever see in home aquariums.
Gonostoma denudatum
Gonostoma denudatum is a deep-sea bristlemouth that spends its life out in the dark, open ocean and does that classic daily up-and-down migration (deeper in the day, shallower at night). It has silvery flanks, a darker back, and light-producing photophores that start showing up as it grows - super cool biology, but not something you would ever realistically keep in a home aquarium.
Acreichthys tomentosus
This little weirdo is one of my favorites because it's got that goofy filefish "face," a knack for wedging itself into rockwork, and a ton of personality once it settles in. People love them for the chance they'll snack on nuisance Aiptasia, but even when they're not on pest patrol they're just fun to watch cruise around and pick at stuff all day.
Pterois antennata
This is the lionfish with the long "antennae" (those banded tentacles above the eyes) and the ragged, spotty fins that make it look extra dramatic under reef lighting. It'll spend the day tucked under ledges and then cruise out at dusk to ambush shrimp, crabs, and any small fish it can fit in its mouth-also worth remembering it's venomous, so you treat it with respect when you're in the tank.
Wheelerigobius wirtzi
This is a tiny little marine goby from the Gulf of Guinea that hangs out shallow on rocky faces. Its whole vibe is "small, shy, and clingy to cover," so it does best when you give it lots of rockwork and calm tankmates. Not something you see in shops often, but its micro-goby size and habitat style make it a really interesting oddball.
Johnius cantori
Johnius cantori is a tiny little tropical croaker from the eastern Indian Ocean, and its whole claim to fame is how obscure it is - FishBase lists it as known only from the holotype collected in Malaysia. Like other croakers, it lives near the bottom in coastal waters, making it unlikely to be found in aquarium trade.
Silhouettea capitlineata
This is a super tiny tropical marine goby that basically lives its life glued to the bottom, blending in and keeping a low profile. The neat name clue is the "head lines" - it was named for dark lines running down from the eye, so its face patterning is part of the whole deal. Because it tops out around an inch, its care info in the aquarium hobby is pretty scarce compared to bigger, commonly-sold gobies.
Ptereleotris zebra
Ptereleotris zebra is one of those slick, torpedo-shaped dartfish that likes to hover in the water column, then instantly zip back into a bolt-hole when it gets spooked. In the wild it hangs out on exposed seaward reefs in groups, often in current, and in a tank the big thing is giving it open swim room plus tight cover because it is absolutely a jumper.
Yirrkala chaselingi
Yirrkala chaselingi is a snake eel (worm eel family) from the western central Pacific. It is one of those secretive, sand-hugging eels that spends a lot of time buried and cruising the bottom, so its "cool factor" is more about the weird eel vibe than being a showy display fish.
Xyrias chioui
Xyrias chioui is a marine snake/worm eel (Ophichthidae) described from Taiwan; the holotype was collected over sand bottom at 60–70 m depth, and it has numerous needle-like teeth. Natural history beyond collection/habitat notes is poorly documented in the primary description.
Urolophus circularis
This is a small-ish temperate Australian stingray that likes rocky reef and kelp zones, so it tends to stay tucked in and out of sight. The really cool bit is the dorsal pattern - pale spots and rings plus a dark central circle of spots - it looks like someone hand-painted it. Also worth respecting: it has a venomous tail spine, so its "hands-off" by nature.
Bollmannia litura
Bollmannia litura (citrine goby) is a western Atlantic goby associated with soft substrates; published records place it over mud and mixed-mud bottoms at roughly 12.8–71 m depth in the western Caribbean.