Fish That Start With B
Browse all aquarium fish species with common names beginning with "B". Each profile includes care requirements, water parameters, tank size recommendations, and compatibility information for freshwater, marine, and brackish species.
The letter 'B' features a variety of aquarium species that appeal to different hobbyist preferences. Notable entries include the striking Betta splendens, popular for its vibrant colors, and the unique Bumblebee goby (Brachygobius doriae), known for its small size and distinct patterns. Whether you're interested in community fish or more specialized species, this section presents a variety of options for all aquarists.
Bailian cave loach
Micronemacheilus bailianensis
A small freshwater nemacheilid (stone loach) described from Bailian Cave near Liuzhou City, Guangxi, China; maximum recorded size about 4 cm SL. Troglobitic/cave-associated species with limited natural distribution.
Bajiang Yunnan loach
Yunnanilus bajiangensis
This is a tiny Chinese stone loach from Yunnan that lives down on the bottom and stays pretty small (around 6.5 cm max). Honestly, its "cool factor" is more about being a super-local river fish than being a flashy aquarium species - and because it is listed as Critically Endangered, its conservation status is the big headline here.
Bakongo cichlid
Thoracochromis bakongo
Thoracochromis bakongo is a small riverine haplochromine cichlid from the lower Congo/Kasai systems in DR Congo, reaching about 10.8 cm TL (~4.3 in). Aquarium breeding behavior for this specific species is not consistently documented in major references, so avoid stating confirmed maternal mouthbrooding unless you can cite a species-level source.
Banded Archerfish
Toxotes jaculatrix
This is the fish that literally spits jets of water to knock insects off branches-watching one "take aim" is unreal. They're super aware of what's going on outside the tank and will even learn to beg and snipe food from the surface once they settle in. Give them height and some open swimming room and they act like little aquatic sharpshooters.
Banded Batasio
Batasio fasciolatus
This is a small hillstream bagrid catfish from the Tista drainage up in the Brahmaputra system. It spends a lot of time tucked under rocks and comes alive more at dusk and at night, so the more caves and crevices you give it, the more you will actually see it. The vertical banding is super sharp in good condition, and they really appreciate cool, oxygen-rich flow.
Banded dwarf three-barbel catfish
Nannoglanis fasciatus
This is a tiny little Ecuadorian heptapterid catfish with bold banding - a real under-the-radar oddball that almost never shows up in shops. Since there is basically no solid aquarium-care literature for it, I would treat it like a small, shy, bottom-hugging Amazon/upper Amazon tributary catfish: lots of cover, gentle flow, and clean, well-oxygenated water.
Banded Leporinus
Leporinus fasciatus
Banded Leporinus are those torpedo-shaped, black-and-yellow striped fish that look like they're wearing a little prison outfit-and they stay on the move. They've got a ton of personality and they're awesome to watch cruising and picking at stuff, but they're also the kind of fish that will redecorate your tank and "taste test" anything soft-looking.
Banded stargazer
Kathetostoma binigrasella
This is a New Zealand stargazer that lives half-buried in sand or mud with its eyes pointed up, waiting to rocket upward and nail passing prey. It has those neat dark saddle-bands across the back (especially as a juvenile), and like other stargazers it is venomous with spines near the gill cover/pectoral area - definitely a look-dont-touch fish.
Banded-tail glassy perchlet
Ambassis urotaenia
This is one of those see-through glassy perchlets where you can literally watch the organs shimmer when it turns-super cool in the right lighting. In the wild it hangs around river mouths and mangroves and cruises in groups, so it does best when you keep a little gang of them and give them some open swimming room.
Bandi cichlid
Wallaceochromis signatus
Wallaceochromis signatus is a West African (Guinea, Kolente basin/Bandi River) dwarf cichlid that has appeared in the hobby under trade names such as “Bandi I/Bandi 1” and “Guinea” prior to/alongside its formal description. It is a cave-associated dwarf cichlid; provide cover and caves and expect heightened territoriality during breeding.
Banggai Cardinalfish
Pterapogon kauderni
Banggai cardinals just sort of hover like little underwater satellites, and the bold black bars with those long, polka-dotted fins look unreal under reef lighting. They're super chill most of the time, but once a pair forms you'll see real "fish drama," and the male will even mouthbrood the babies like a champ.
Barbados vent eelpout
Thermarces pelophilum
This is a deep-sea eelpout that was collected at cold seeps off Barbados - think pitch-black, high-pressure ocean bottom, not an aquarium fish. It tops out around 12.4 cm and basically lives in a world of mud, methane, and seep life, which is a pretty wild niche for a fish.
Barbed pipefish
Urocampus nanus
Urocampus nanus (barbed pipefish) occurs in protected inshore and estuarine habitats among seagrass (Zostera) in the Northwest Pacific (southern Japan and adjacent coasts). Like other syngnathids, males brood eggs in a pouch under the tail and produce fully formed young.
Barbedwire-tailed skate
Notoraja martinezi
Notoraja martinezi is a deepwater skate from the eastern Pacific (Costa Rica down to Ecuador) that lives way down on soft bottoms. The tail is the giveaway - it is lined with strong, hooked thorns that really do look like barbed wire. This is absolutely not an aquarium fish; it is a cold, high-pressure deep-sea animal with basically no practical home care info because it is not kept in the hobby.
Barlip reef-eel
Uropterygius kamar
Uropterygius kamar is a smaller moray (a reef-eel) that spends its time tucked into rockwork and coral rubble, poking its head out when it smells food. FishBase notes it comes in two color morphs and lives on reef-associated rubble areas, so in a tank it really appreciates lots of tight caves and crevices. Like most morays its whole vibe is secretive ambush predator, not open-water swimmer.
Barred mudskipper
Periophthalmus argentilineatus
This is one of those classic "walks around like it owns the place" mudskippers-big goofy eyes, climbs, hops, and spends a ton of time out on the mud when it's humid. In the wild it lives on intertidal mangrove/nipa mudflats and even shuttles between little pools and open air, hunting worms, insects, and small crustaceans. It's super fun to watch, but it really wants a brackish paludarium setup (not a normal aquarium).
Barred snake eel
Quassiremus polyclitellum
This is a temperate, demersal snake eel (Ophichthidae) known from New Zealand, collected from moderately deep water over rocky ground (reported depth range ~35–58 m). It is not commonly represented in aquarium care literature and should be considered a wild marine species rather than a typical aquarium trade eel.
Barred topminnow
Quintana atrizona
This is a tiny Cuban livebearer that likes to lurk in thick plants and do that classic livebearer "hover and peck" routine all day. The cool part is the subtle black barring and how the fish kind of vanishes into floating plants, then pops right back out when food hits the water.
Barred-chin blenny
Rhabdoblennius nitidus
This is a tiny intertidal combtooth blenny that lives right up in surge channels and tide pools, so it is built for getting smacked around by waves and still acting like it owns the rock. Males guard eggs in little nests and the species has some seriously interesting breeding behavior, which is very blenny-like. In the hobby its not a common aquarium fish, but if you ever run into one you would treat it like a small, rock-perching marine blenny with lots of hiding spots and strong oxygenation.
Barrens topminnow
Fundulus julisia
Fundulus julisia is a rare Tennessee Barrens Plateau topminnow that lives near the surface in springs and spring-fed creeks, often around aquatic vegetation, feeding largely on small aquatic insects. It is federally listed as Endangered (U.S., 2019) and is the focus of captive propagation and reintroduction efforts.
Barrier reef anemonefish
Amphiprion akindynos
This is one of the cooler Great Barrier Reef clowns - orange-brown with two crisp white bars edged in black and that pale tail. Give it a spot to claim (ideally with an anemone or at least a comfy coral substitute) and it will settle in hard, pair up, and act like the little boss of its corner.
Bates' labeobarbus
Labeobarbus batesii
This is a large freshwater African cyprinid (genus Labeobarbus) reported from Cameroon, Chad, and Gabon. It is not a commonly profiled aquarium species; husbandry information is limited in mainstream hobby references.
Bathybagrus platycephalus (claroteid catfish)
Bathybagrus platycephalus
This is a Lake Tanganyika claroteid catfish (Bathybagrus platycephalus; synonym Chrysichthys platycephalus) reported from deeper water (about 20-110 m) and associated with rocky substrate. It reaches ~22 cm TL and is a demersal predator, so small fish may be eaten if they fit in its mouth.
Beach silverside
Atherinella blackburni
This is a little coastal silverside that cruises the shallows in loose groups and flashes like a tiny chrome dart when the light hits it right. In the wild it hangs around beaches, estuaries, and lagoons, picking at small drifting foods in the surf zone. It is cool, but its real "gotcha" is that it is an open-water, salt-tolerant schooling fish that does best in bigger, well-oxygenated setups rather than a typical planted community tank.