Search Species
Search for fish species by common or scientific name, or use filters to browse by water type, size, temperament, and difficulty.
Found 419 species
Bob Ward's bluespotted maskray
Neotrygon bobwardi
A bluespotted maskray (Neotrygon bobwardi) described as part of the former Neotrygon kuhlii species complex, reported from Indonesia in the eastern Indian Ocean (notably western Sumatra).
Bradbury's batfish
Coelophrys bradburyae
A tiny deep-sea batfish (family Ogcocephalidae) known from deep water off Japan; the original description was based on a single specimen collected at 557–595 m, and the species remains poorly known.
Brazilian codling
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.
Bristlemouth
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.
Bristletail Filefish (Aiptasia-Eating Filefish)
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.
Broadbarred firefish
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.
Brownspotted stargazer
Uranoscopus fuscomaculatus
This is a deepwater stargazer that spends its life on the bottom, usually buried in sand or mud with just the eyes showing, waiting to ambush anything edible that wanders close. Super cool predator behavior, but its a wild marine fish from hundreds of meters down, so it is basically not an aquarium species in any normal sense.
Butterfly stingaree
Urolophus papilio
This is a deepwater little stingray from the Chesterfield Islands area (Coral Sea), with a super wide, diamond-shaped disc that earned it the butterfly name. It is a bathydemersal species recorded around 330 m deep, so its needs are basically the opposite of a normal home aquarium ray - cold, high pressure habitat, and not something the hobby can realistically support.
Cameroon goby
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.
Campeche Bank hamlet
Hypoplectrus espinosai
This is a hamlet (a small serranid) that lives on shallow coral reefs on the Campeche Bank off the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico. Its max recorded size is under 10 cm, and in the wild it is described as a diurnal, solitary little predator that hangs around the reef picking off meaty prey.
Candystick goby
Vanderhorstia delagoae
This is a shrimp-associated sand goby from the western Indian Ocean and Red Sea area, and it spends its life hovering right by a burrow (usually shared with a snapping shrimp). In a tank it is all about a fine sand bed and feeling secure - when its setup is right, you get that cool watchman-style behavior and constant "standing guard" at the entrance.
Cantor's croaker
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.