Search Species
Search for fish species by common or scientific name, or use filters to browse by water type, size, temperament, and difficulty.
Found 556 species
Ubirajara rivulus (killifish)
Melanorivulus ubirajarai
This is a tiny Cerrado rivulus from central Brazil - the males show off neat red chevron-like markings, and they are always cruising the top and edges looking for snacks. Like a lot of Melanorivulus, it is a jumpy little personality fish that does best in a tight-lidded, plant-heavy setup with gentle flow.
Upside-down Catfish
Synodontis nigriventris
The upside-down catfish is a small African mochokid catfish famous for swimming and feeding belly-up, especially under cover and along the water's surface. It has a light belly (often with darker spotting), a darker back, and prominent barbels, and it is most active at dusk and night. Peaceful overall, it does best in groups with plenty of hiding places like driftwood and caves.
Validus barb
Enteromius validus
Enteromius validus is a little Congo Basin barb that stays under 4 inches, with a chunky, sturdy body and proper barbels. Its wild diet is basically "whatever shows up" (insects, plant bits, seeds), so it is built for picking and browsing all day. This one is pretty obscure in the aquarium hobby, so most people keeping it are kind of blazing their own trail.
Vanmanenia gymnetrus (hillstream loach)
Vanmanenia gymnetrus
This is one of those true hillstream loaches built to live plastered onto rocks in fast current. It spends its time scooting around surfaces and grazing biofilm, and it really comes alive in a high-oxygen "river tank" setup. Not a "warm, still community tank" fish - it wants flow and clean water to look its best.
Vanuatu goatfish
Upeneus vanuatu
Upeneus vanuatu is a small deep-water goatfish from off Vanuatu that lives way down around 191-321 m, so its natural water is cooler and darker than typical reef goatfish. Like other goatfish it has the little chin barbels for rooting around for food, but honestly this one is more of a scientific oddball than a realistic aquarium fish because of the depth it comes from.
Variegated cardinalfish
Fowleria variegata
This is a small, mottled reddish-brown cardinalfish that likes to hang around rockwork and rubble and really comes into its own once the lights dim. In a calm reef tank its a super chill, slow swimmer, and if you keep a small group they tend to hover together and look way more natural.
Vaubans gurnard
Lepidotrigla vaubani
Lepidotrigla vaubani is a small, bottom-dwelling marine gurnard (sea robin) from the western Pacific. Like other gurnards its "walking" pectoral fin rays are the fun part - it creeps along the seafloor poking around for little crustaceans and worms, way more personality than you would expect from a bycatch-type fish.
Veilfin tetra
Hyphessobrycon elachys
This is one of those tiny Paraguay-basin tetras that looks kind of understated until the males mature and start throwing those longer, flowy fins - then it gets really classy. Keep them in a proper little group and theyll spend the whole day hovering and cruising the midwater, looking extra sharp over dark substrate and plants.
Velvety sole
Brachirus villosus
This is a true freshwater sole from New Guinea that spends most of its life glued to the bottom and buried in soft sand. It is one of those blink-and-you-miss-it fish during the day, then you catch it cruising the substrate at feeding time looking for meaty bits.
Vermiculated croaker
Ophioscion vermicularis
Eastern Pacific marine demersal croaker found over sandy and muddy bottoms in shallow waters; feeds on benthic invertebrates and is common in local markets. Aquarium care information is limited compared with typical ornamental marine species.
Vietnamese bitterling
Acheilognathus fasciodorsalis
Acheilognathus fasciodorsalis is a freshwater bitterling endemic to Vietnam. Like other bitterlings (Acheilognathidae), reproduction involves females using an ovipositor to deposit eggs in freshwater mussels.
Violet goby
Gobioides broussonnetii
This is the long, eel-y "dragon goby" you see at shops sometimes-looks scary with that toothy face, but it's actually a chill mud-and-sand sifter. In nature it hangs around muddy estuaries and river mouths, and that's the trick in aquariums too: soft sand, brackish-ish water, and food it can actually find (they're not great hunters).