Fish That Start With C - Page 3 of 3
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.
Congo Ichthyborus
Ichthyborus congolensis
Ichthyborus congolensis is one of those Congo basin oddball characins with that long, predatory-looking snout - built for grabbing smaller fish and bugs in open water. Its a real "niche" species in the hobby, so most of the time youre planning a tank for its size and behavior (active, boisterous, potentially fin-nippy) rather than following a super-established community-fish care recipe.
Cookiecutter shark
Isistius brasiliensis
This is the little deep-water shark that takes neat, round "cookie" plugs out of bigger animals - tuna, whales, even other sharks - then disappears back into the dark. It is got a stubby cigar-shaped body with a dark "collar" behind the head, and it does nightly vertical migrations up toward the surface. Not an aquarium fish in any normal sense, but an absolute legend of the open ocean.
Copper mahseer
Neolissochilus hexagonolepis
A large mahseer (torinine cyprinid) from fast, rocky rivers of South and Southeast Asia. Adults can reach ~120 cm TL, and the species favours cool, highly‑oxygenated, strong‑current habitats—conditions that require very large aquaria or ponds; it is generally unsuitable for typical home aquariums.
Coral Beauty Angelfish
Centropyge bispinosa
Coral Beauty is that classic little dwarf angel with the purple-blue body and orange striping that looks different from fish to fish. It spends a lot of the day weaving through rockwork and picking at algae and other bits, so a tank with mature live rock really brings out its best behavior. It can be a little bossy (especially with other dwarf angels) and some individuals will nip corals, so it is reef-safe with caution.
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.
Creek loach
Schistura beavani
Schistura beavani is a little river loach that wants that brisk, oxygen-rich stream vibe - smooth stones, sandy patches, and enough flow that you can see the fish perk up and start cruising. In a group they get way more confident, and you will sometimes spot that classic Schistura behavior of nosing into the sand and wedging into tight spots. It is also one of those fish that gets mislabeled in shops, so buying from a source that can ID them well is a big deal.
Cricare killifish
Xenurolebias cricarensis
This is a tiny Brazilian annual killifish from temporary marshes in the rio Sao Mateus (rio Cricare) floodplain. In the wet season it grows fast, colors up, spawns in the bottom, and the eggs ride out the dry season in the substrate - super cool life cycle, but it also means its not a long-lived "pet fish" the way most community fish are.
Cuban cusk-eel
Lucifuga subterranea
A blind, cave- and sinkhole-dwelling livebearing brotula (Bythitidae) endemic to Cuba that feeds on small crustaceans (e.g., isopods) in subterranean waters.
Cutthroat eel (Ilyophis robinsae)
Ilyophis robinsae
This is a deep-sea cutthroat eel that lives way down on the seafloor - like, thousands of meters deep. Its whole vibe is "muddy abyss predator/scavenger" with that classic eel-shaped body, and its name honors ichthyologist Catherine Robins. Not an aquarium fish in any realistic sense, but it is a seriously cool species from an extreme habitat.