Search Species
Search for fish species by common or scientific name, or use filters to browse by water type, size, temperament, and difficulty.
Found 337 species
Chapultepec splitfin
Girardinichthys viviparus
This is a little goodeid livebearer from the Valley of Mexico where it comes from cool, oxygen-rich waters - think more like a temperate pond fish than a tropical livebearer. Males can get really sharp-looking with black edging (sometimes almost fully black) on the fins, and they do best when you keep them on the cool side with big, regular water changes.
Cherry barb
Rohanella titteya
Cherry barbs are small Sri Lankan barbs; males intensify to deep red (especially when breeding). They're generally peaceful and can be shy unless kept in a group, and they look best in planted aquariums with subdued lighting and darker substrate.
Chessboard cichlid
Dicrossus filamentosus
Dicrossus filamentosus is that classy little blackwater dwarf cichlid with the crisp "chessboard" pattern and, in mature males, a super cool lyretail with streamers. It's generally mellow and shy, but when a female is guarding eggs/fry she turns into a tiny, fearless bulldozer (and it's honestly awesome to watch). Give them soft, clean water, leaf litter, and calm tankmates and they really settle in and show their best colors.
Chinese hillstream loach
Jinshaia sinensis
Jinshaia sinensis is one of those slick, fast-water loaches built for life clinging to rocks in strong current - big fins, low profile, and always looking for biofilm to pick at. It can do great in a purpose-built river tank with tons of oxygen and flow, but it is not the kind of loach that tolerates "average community tank" conditions for long.
Chocolate-colored catfish
Rineloricaria lanceolata
This is a slim little whiptail (a Loricariid) that spends most of its time gliding over sand and leaves, picking at biofilm like a tiny vacuum cleaner. Give it driftwood, caves, and calm tankmates and it turns into a super chill, sneaky-bottom-dweller with that awesome long whip tail and high dorsal fin.
Cobalt blue goby
Stiphodon semoni
Stiphodon semoni is one of those little river gobies that spends its whole day perched on rocks, scooting around, and grazing biofilm/aufwuchs like a tiny underwater goat. Give it clean, oxygen-rich water and a nice algae-y rockscape, and the males especially can look unreal with that blue-green sheen and bands.
Common otocinclus
Otocinclus vittatus
O. vittatus is that tiny little "oto" you see plastered to plant leaves and the glass, just quietly vacuuming up soft algae and biofilm all day. The big trick with them is they're amazing grazers, but they can absolutely run out of food in a too-clean/new tank, so you've got to plan on supplementing with algae wafers/blanched veg.
Compact sand catlet
Zaireichthys compactus
This is one of those tiny African sand-dwelling loach catfish that likes to hug the bottom and vanish into the substrate. In the wild it comes from fast-flowing, muddy-brown water with mixed sand, mud, and rocky areas, so in a tank it really appreciates flow, oxygen, and a soft sandy spot to scoot around on.
Cordoba livebearer
Jenynsia obscura
A small onesided livebearer from central Argentina, the Cordoba livebearer stays petite and does great in cooler, well-oxygenated freshwater. Males have that quirky one-sided gonopodium and the group shows lots of personality when kept as a small colony.
Creek livebearer
Jenynsia eigenmanni
Jenynsia eigenmanni is a little South American livebearer from southern Brazil, and it has that classic Jenynsia "one-sided" mating setup, which is pretty wild to watch once you keep a group. It's not a showy neon fish, but it is super active and always cruising and grazing, more like a tiny, tougher molly-type fish that stays busy all day.
Critter Goby
Lentipes crittersius
Tiny stream goby from West Papua that sticks to rocks and loves fast, super-clean water. It spends the day scooting over stones to graze algae and biofilm, then dashes into the current like a little surfer. Give it a mature, high-flow tank and it will show loads of personality.
Darkspotted catfish
Aspidoras fuscoguttatus
Think of this one like a tiny Cory cousin with a busier little spot pattern and a ton of "shuffle and sift" energy on the bottom. It is happiest when you keep a proper little group and give it sand, plants, and some cover so it feels secure enough to cruise around in the open.