Fish That Start With C
Browse all aquarium fish species with common names beginning with "C". Each profile includes care requirements, water parameters, tank size recommendations, and compatibility information for freshwater, marine, and brackish species.
The 'C' index showcases a range of aquarium fish, from the popular Goldfish (Carassius auratus) to the interesting Dwarf Pufferfish (Carinotetraodon travancoricus). This section includes a variety of community-friendly species such as the striking Clown Loach (Chromobotia macracanthus) and several charming Corydoras catfish like the Bronze Corydoras (Corydoras aeneus). Whether you're looking for eye-catching displays or peaceful tank mates, the 'C' listings have something for every aquarist.
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.
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.
Capitlineata silhouette goby
Silhouettea capitlineata
This is a super tiny tropical marine goby that basically lives its life glued to the bottom, blending in and keeping a low profile. The neat name clue is the "head lines" - it was named for dark lines running down from the eye, so its face patterning is part of the whole deal. Because it tops out around an inch, its care info in the aquarium hobby is pretty scarce compared to bigger, commonly-sold gobies.
Cardinal Tetra
Paracheirodon axelrodi
The Cardinal Tetra is a small, vibrant freshwater fish known for its striking iridescent blue and red coloring. It is closely related to the Neon Tetra but can be distinguished by the extended red stripe that runs the entire length of its body. People love keeping Cardinal Tetras in their tanks because they're peaceful and great at schooling together.
Carens barb
Enteromius carens
Enteromius carens is a small freshwater cyprinid from West-Central Africa. It is known from the Kouilou basin to the Chiloango basin (Republic of the Congo, Cabinda/Angola, and DR Congo), with a single record from the Foulakari River in the lower Congo basin. Maximum recorded size is about 3.2 cm standard length.
Celestial Pearl Danio
Danio margaritatus
This is the little "galaxy fish" everyone stops to stare at-dark bluish body sprinkled with pearly spots and those punchy orange/red fins. They're peaceful but kinda shy, and you'll see the best color and the cutest little male sparring displays when you keep a proper group in a heavily planted tank with gentle flow.
Chekopa Mylochromis
Mylochromis chekopae
This is a Lake Malawi "hap" from the Mylochromis group that hangs out deeper over sand and works the bottom for tiny foods. In the wild its menu is basically little crustaceans plus some algae, so it does best long-term when you feed it like a grazing micro-predator instead of a pure carnivore.
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.
Chinese zebra goby
Ptereleotris zebra
Ptereleotris zebra is one of those slick, torpedo-shaped dartfish that likes to hover in the water column, then instantly zip back into a bolt-hole when it gets spooked. In the wild it hangs out on exposed seaward reefs in groups, often in current, and in a tank the big thing is giving it open swim room plus tight cover because it is absolutely a jumper.
Chingilt
Yirrkala chaselingi
Yirrkala chaselingi is a snake eel (worm eel family) from the western central Pacific. It is one of those secretive, sand-hugging eels that spends a lot of time buried and cruising the bottom, so its "cool factor" is more about the weird eel vibe than being a showy display fish.
Chiou's snake eel
Xyrias chioui
Xyrias chioui is a marine snake/worm eel (Ophichthidae) described from Taiwan; the holotype was collected over sand bottom at 60–70 m depth, and it has numerous needle-like teeth. Natural history beyond collection/habitat notes is poorly documented in the primary description.
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.
Circular stingaree
Urolophus circularis
This is a small-ish temperate Australian stingray that likes rocky reef and kelp zones, so it tends to stay tucked in and out of sight. The really cool bit is the dorsal pattern - pale spots and rings plus a dark central circle of spots - it looks like someone hand-painted it. Also worth respecting: it has a venomous tail spine, so its "hands-off" by nature.
Citrine goby
Bollmannia litura
Bollmannia litura (citrine goby) is a western Atlantic goby associated with soft substrates; published records place it over mud and mixed-mud bottoms at roughly 12.8–71 m depth in the western Caribbean.
Clouded archerfish
Toxotes blythii
This is the freshwater archerfish that does the whole "shoot water at bugs" thing, and it is ridiculously fun to watch once they settle in. They are surface-oriented, quick, and kind of predatory in that "if it fits, it might get eaten" way, so you plan tankmates around their mouth size. Give them clean, well-oxygenated water and a tight lid, and they act like little hunters all day.
Clown loach
Chromobotia macracanthus
Clown loaches are those orange fish with the chunky black bands that act like total goofballs-piling into the same cave, clicking at each other, and sometimes doing that "am I dead?" sideways nap. They stay way calmer and more confident in a proper group, and once they're settled they'll spend all day cruising the bottom and sifting around for snacks.
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.
Colombian shark catfish
Ariopsis seemanni
This is that slick silver "shark-looking" catfish with the black fins and white tips that cruises around like it owns the place. The big gotcha is it's not a true freshwater community fish long-term-juveniles show up in shops as "freshwater," but as it grows it really wants brackish and eventually full marine conditions, plus a lot of swimming room.
Comet
Calloplesiops altivelis
This is the famous "Marine Betta" look-alike: jet-dark with those starry spots, and that wild fake eye near the back that makes predators bite the wrong end. It's a super shy cave-dweller by day and then turns into a sneaky night hunter, cruising out for crustaceans and small fish.
Common fusegoby
Fusigobius neophytus
This is a tiny reef-associated sand goby that hangs out over sand and rubble patches near coral, usually solo or in loose little groups. Its semi-translucent gray body is peppered with fine spots and it blends in amazingly well, then you catch that little black spot on the first dorsal fin and go, oh there it is. In a tank it is all about having sand to perch on and plenty of calm, peaceful neighbors so it is not bullied.
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.
Common stinkfish
Foetorepus calauropomus
This is a southern-Australia dragonet with a super long tailfin and a sneaky camouflage look, and the males can actually show some really neat color and filament action when theyre feeling bold. The whole "stinkfish" thing is real too - they have a strong-smelling body slime that can taste bitter and may be toxic, so its not a fish you handle unless you have to.