Fish That Start With A
Browse all aquarium fish species with common names beginning with "A". Each profile includes care requirements, water parameters, tank size recommendations, and compatibility information for freshwater, marine, and brackish species.
Welcome to the letter 'A' index, where you'll find a variety of aquarium species. Highlights include the popular Ocellaris clownfish (Amphiprion ocellaris) and the unique Bristlenose Pleco (Ancistrus cirrhosus). Whether you prefer community fish like the Banded-tail glassy perchlet (Ambassis urotaenia) or specialized types, this section provides options for all aquarists.
Abe's eelpout
Japonolycodes abei
Japonolycodes abei is a temperate, deepwater demersal eelpout (family Zoarcidae) endemic to Japan (Kumano-nada Sea reported; other sources also report Sagami Bay and Tosa Bay). It is the only species in the genus Japonolycodes and occurs roughly 40-300 m depth, making it an uncommon/atypical aquarium species.
African conger (Japonoconger africanus)
Japonoconger africanus
This is a smallish deep-water conger eel from the eastern Atlantic (Gabon down to the Congo), and it lives way deeper than anything we normally keep at home. It is a predator that eats fish and crustaceans, and while it is a cool species on paper, it is basically not an aquarium fish in any normal sense due to its deep-water habitat and lack of established captive care info.
African moony
Monodactylus sebae
This is that shiny, diamond-shaped "mono" that cruises around in a tight pack and looks like a little silver dinner plate with black bars when it's young. The big thing with African moonies is they're euryhaline-so they'll tolerate freshwater as juveniles, but they really shine long-term in brackish (and can be transitioned toward marine as they mature). Give them a big, open tank and a group, and they turn into nonstop, super fun midwater swimmers.
Ajuricaba tetra
Jupiaba ajuricaba
Jupiaba ajuricaba is a South American freshwater characin from the Amazon basin in Brazil (rio Negro, rio Solimões, and rio Tapajós basins). It reaches about 9.5 cm SL and is diagnosed by a narrow dark midlateral stripe, an elongated humeral spot, and an ocellated spot on the upper caudal-fin lobe. Wild specimens have been collected from blackwater forest streams and also oxbow-lake habitats.
Aleutian skate
Bathyraja aleutica
This is a big, cold-water deep-slope skate from the North Pacific that cruises muddy bottoms and eats chunky benthic prey like crabs and shrimp. The really cool bit is its egg-laying skate life - it does distinct pairing (the classic skate "embrace") and drops those tough egg cases on the seafloor. Not an aquarium fish at all unless you're basically running a public-aquarium-style chilled system.
Amapa tetra
Hyphessobrycon amapaensis
This is a tiny, super sleek little tetra with a clean red stripe down the side that really pops once its settled in. It does best in a planted, slightly tinted "creek-style" setup and looks way cooler when you keep a proper group so they school and flash that line together. If you can give it soft, slightly acidic water and a calm community, its an easy fish to fall for.
American flagfish
Jordanella floridae
Jordanella floridae is that little Florida native with the red-and-cream striping that really does look like a tiny flag once a male colors up. They graze algae like champs (especially stringy/hair algae), but they have a bit of attitude - give them plants and space so the bossy behavior stays manageable. Bonus: the male guards the eggs and will actively fan them, which is pretty fun to watch.
American shadow goby
Quietula y-cauda
This is a little mudflat goby from California down into the Gulf of California that loves hanging tight to the bottom and vanishing into burrows. The neat tell is that sideways Y-shaped blotch right at the base of the tail, plus the row of dark spots along the side. Its whole vibe is brackish estuary life - calm water, soft substrate, lots of hiding holes.
Amur sculpin
Alpinocottus szanaga
This is a little coldwater sculpin from the Amur drainage - a bottom-hugging, rock-and-gravel fish that spends its day wedged under stones and darting out to grab food. Super cool behavior and attitude, but it is absolutely not a warm tropical community fish - it wants chilly, fast, oxygen-rich water and will bicker with other bottom fish.
Anitápolis livebearer
Jenynsia weitzmani
Jenynsia weitzmani is a freshwater anablepid livebearer endemic to southern Brazil (currently known only from the type locality near Anitápolis, Santa Catarina). Like other Jenynsia (onesided livebearers), reproduction involves lateralized mating morphology/behavior; aquarium care guidance is not well-documented for this species specifically.
Anteridorsal Homatula loach
Homatula anteridorsalis
This is a benthic Chinese stream loach from Yunnan that lives right down on the bottom in clear, flowing water over gravel and rocks. Think of it as a "river tank" fish - it wants current, oxygen, and lots of surfaces to poke around on for bits of food and algae.
Arabian spiny eel
Notacanthus indicus
Notacanthus indicus is a deep-sea spiny eel (family Notacanthidae; not a true eel) known from the Arabian Sea on the continental slope at roughly ~960–1,046 m depth, with reported maximum length around 20 cm TL; it is a deep-water bycatch species and not established in the aquarium trade.
Aracu-comum
Schizodon vittatus
Schizodon vittatus is a large South American anostomid (family Anostomidae). Reported maximum size is about 35 cm standard length; it is harvested/consumed in parts of Brazil and is not commonly covered by mainstream aquarium husbandry references.
Arctic rockling
Gaidropsarus argentatus
This is a deepwater North Atlantic rockling (a cod relative) that hangs out on soft bottoms way down the slope. It is a cold-water, bottom-hugging predator that snoots around for crustaceans and will also take small fish when it gets the chance.
Armoured stickleback
Indostomus paradoxus
This is that goofy little "freshwater seahorse"-looking fish that just kind of perches and scoots around like a tiny armored twig. Its whole vibe is slow, sneaky micropredator - once its settled in, you will catch it stalking microfoods and doing these subtle little posture displays. The big trick is feeding: they do best when you can provide lots of small live foods in a calm, planted tank.
Arnegard's electric fish
Petrocephalus arnegardi
This is a little Congo River elephantfish (a weakly electric mormyrid) that cruises the lower parts of the tank and navigates the world with its electric sense. It stays small (around 9 cm) and has a clean silvery look with three dark marks that make it pretty easy to pick out among Petrocephalus.
Aroa twig catfish
Farlowella martini
Farlowella martini is one of those unreal-looking stick catfish that just vanishes the moment it parks itself on a branch. It is a super calm, slow-moving grazer that does best in a mature tank with lots of biofilm, gentle flow, and clean, oxygen-rich water - they are not great at competing at feeding time, so you kind of have to look out for them.
Arraya's bluntnose knifefish
Brachyhypopomus arrayae
This is a weakly-electric South American knifefish that cruises around plants and root mats and does most of its business after lights-out. It is a pretty subtle-looking fish (more earthy browns than flashy colors), but the cool part is the whole electric-sense lifestyle and that smooth, hovering knifefish swim.
Arrowhead puffer
Pao suvattii
Pao suvattii is that sneaky Mekong puffer that likes to sit low and ambush food, and it has that super recognizable arrow/V pattern on its back. Gorgeous fish with tons of personality, but it is absolutely not a community guy - plan on a solo, species-only setup if you want everybody to stay in one piece.
Atlantic Mudskipper
Periophthalmus barbarus
This is that wild little amphibious goby that straight-up climbs around on land like it forgot it was a fish. They've got big googly eyes, tons of personality, and they'll perch, hop, and patrol their territory-honestly more like a tiny crabby lizard than a "regular" aquarium fish.
Atlantic pomfret
Brama brama
Brama brama is the Atlantic pomfret (aka Ray's bream) - a deep-bodied, open-ocean pelagic fish that cruises around in small schools and follows water temps. It is a legit big, wild marine species (not an aquarium fish) that eats other small sea critters like fish and squid, and it ranges across a huge chunk of the Atlantic plus parts of the Indian and South Pacific.
Austellus barb
Dawkinsia austellus
Dawkinsia austellus is a freshwater cyprinid endemic to southern India (Western Ghats region). It is an active, shoaling barb best maintained in a group in a spacious, well-filtered aquarium with good oxygenation and regular maintenance.
Australian sawtail catshark
Figaro boardmani
Figaro boardmani is a small, deepwater Australian catshark with these cool saw-like ridges of spiny denticles along the tail and a neat pattern of dark saddle bands. It lives way down on the outer continental shelf and slope, so its natural water is cold, dim, and stable - totally not a typical home-aquarium fish. Diet-wise its a predator that goes after fish, crustaceans, and cephalopods.
Avacanoeiro whiptail catfish
Lamontichthys avacanoeiro
This is one of those rarer Lamontichthys whiptails from Brazil that looks like it was built for fast water - long, armored, and made to hug the bottom in current. In the wild its from the upper Rio Tocantins basin, and in a tank it will really appreciate super clean, oxygen-rich water and lots of smooth surfaces to graze.