Fish That Start With H
Browse all aquarium fish species with common names beginning with "H". Each profile includes care requirements, water parameters, tank size recommendations, and compatibility information for freshwater, marine, and brackish species.
The letter 'H' in our aquarium species index showcases a diverse range of vibrant and popular community fish, including the striking Ember Tetra (Hyphessobrycon amandae) and the distinct Silver Tip Tetra (Hasemania nana). From the lively Black Neon Tetra (Hyphessobrycon herbertaxelrodi) to the charming Lemon Tetra (Hyphessobrycon pulchripinnis), these species are perfect for hobbyists looking to enhance their freshwater aquariums with colorful schooling fish.
Hairy bagrid catfish
Bagroides hirsutus
Bagroides hirsutus is a pretty obscure Asian bagrid catfish that shows up in the literature mainly from southern China, and it is rarely (if ever) seen as a true, correctly-identified aquarium fish. The big catch with this one is the name - multiple references flag its ID/placement as uncertain, and it has been bounced around as Liocassus/Leiocassis and even suggested as Tachysurus, so buying one in the hobby would be a bit of a gamble.
Hairy blenny
Labrisomus nuchipinnis
This is a chunky little rock-dweller that basically lives in holes and crevices and zips to the next hideout when it gets spooked. Males can show reddish color on the lower head and belly, and they are territorial spawners with the male guarding the eggs. Super cool fish to watch if you like cryptic, perch-and-pounce hunters more than open-water swimmers.
Hairy pipefish
Urocampus carinirostris
This is a tiny, stick-thin pipefish that lives in seagrass and algae beds and uses its prehensile tail to hang on like a little underwater chameleon. The coolest part is the "hairy" fringing (little filaments) all over the body that breaks up its outline, and like other syngnathids the male carries the eggs in a brood pouch under the tail.
Half-banded kuhli loach
Pangio semicincta
Pangio semicincta is one of those classic "striped kuhli" loaches that spends the day wedged in plants and caves, then comes out at lights-down to wiggle around like a tiny eel. They're super social once you keep a proper group, and they're famous for piling into the same hidey-hole together. Also: they're one of the species that gets mixed up/mislabeled in the trade a lot, so buying from a shop that IDs them carefully is a win.
Halfbelt wriggler
Xenisthmus semicinctus
Xenisthmus semicinctus is a tiny little reef-dweller (barely 2 cm) from the Rowley Shoals off Western Australia. It is one of those blink-and-you-miss-it benthic fishes that lives right down on shallow coral reef habitat, kind of wriggling and hugging cover instead of swimming out in the open. Super cool fish biologically, but its so small and specialized that it is basically never seen in the normal aquarium trade.
Harelip sucker
Moxostoma lacerum
Moxostoma lacerum (the harelip sucker, also called the hairlip redhorse) was a temperate North American sucker with a really odd split lower lip and a specialized bottom-feeding setup. Sadly its whole story is basically a cautionary tale - it was sensitive to silt and habitat changes, and it is now listed as Extinct (IUCN assessed August 4, 2012).
Harlequin filefish
Oxymonacanthus longirostris
This is that super-cool orange-spotted, long-snouted filefish that hangs tight in branching Acropora like it's part of the coral. In the wild it's basically an Acropora-polyp specialist and usually lives in pairs, which is exactly why it's so tricky in home aquariums unless you're ready for the feeding challenge.
Harlequin Rasbora
Trigonostigma heteromorpha
Harlequin rasboras are those little coppery-orange fish with the bold black "wedge" on their sides that somehow look even better once they're cruising in a group. Give them a nice school and some plants to weave through and they'll do this tight, synchronized swimming thing that's honestly kind of hypnotic.
Hartt's banjo catfish
Bunocephalus hartti
Bunocephalus hartti is a tiny little banjo catfish from the Sao Francisco basin in Brazil that lives its best life looking like a dead leaf and pretending it does not exist. Give it sand and leaf litter and it will vanish for days, then suddenly pop out at night like a little cryptid vacuuming up food off the bottom.
Hawaiian bandfish
Owstonia hawaiiensis
Owstonia hawaiiensis is a deepwater Hawaiian bandfish - a slim, rosy-red slope fish that hangs close to the bottom in the dark, cooler zones most divers never see. It is not really an aquarium fish in the normal sense, since it comes from deep water and would need specialized coldwater/deepwater life support to have a shot long-term.
Hawaiian cleaner wrasse
Labroides phthirophagus
This is the little reef "dentist" from Hawaii that sets up a cleaning station and does that classic flitty dance to invite other fish in. Its whole life revolves around picking parasites (plus mucus/scales) off clients, which is fascinating to watch but also exactly why it so often wastes away in typical home aquariums.
Hawaiian surf sardine
Iso hawaiiensis
Iso hawaiiensis is a tiny surf-zone silverside that lives right in the splashy, wave-battered edge of rocky headlands and reefs. Its whole vibe is fast, nervous, and built for rough water, so it is way more of a cool natural-history fish than a typical home-aquarium resident.
Head-and-Tail Light Tetra
Hemigrammus ocellifer
This little tetra does a neat trick in the light-there's a shiny "headlight" spot near the gills and a glowing "taillight" at the base of the tail, so the whole school kind of sparkles as they turn. They're super chill in a group, and they look way better the bigger the shoal is and the more plants you give them to cruise through.
Hermaphroditus mangrove killifish
Kryptolebias hermaphroditus
This is one of those weirdly amazing little mangrove killifish where most individuals are self-fertile hermaphrodites, so a single fish can produce eggs on its own. In the wild its tied to Brazilian mangroves and coastal canals, and it tends to live a pretty secretive, solo life in shallow, mucky, low-oxygen spots.
Hewett's coris
Coris hewetti
Coris hewetti is a smaller Coris wrasse that (as far as records show) is only known from the Marquesas Islands in the eastern central Pacific. It cruises mixed sand-and-rubble areas picking at tiny bottom critters, and the males do a pretty wild little courtship display where they flare fins and even shift color.
Hexi stone loach
Triplophysa hexiensis
This one is a little taxonomic curveball: Triplophysa rossoperegrinatorum (Prokofiev, 2001) is treated as a synonym of Triplophysa hexiensis in major references, so in the hobby you will basically want to think of it as T. hexiensis. Its a bottom-dwelling river loach from northern China that likes clean, well-oxygenated water and spends a lot of time hugging the substrate and darting between rocks.
Hi-fin headstander barb
Oreichthys cosuatis
Oreichthys cosuatis is a tiny Indian/Bangladeshi barb where the males can throw up a really cool tall dorsal fin and some nice red/yellow accents when they settle in. They spend a lot of time cruising midwater and picking around for food, and they do best when you keep them in a proper little group so they feel bold.
Highfin sand perch
Diplectrum labarum
Diplectrum labarum is a small serranid (sea bass relative) from the Tropical Eastern Pacific that hangs around sandy-muddy bottoms and eats meaty stuff like crustaceans and small fish. The cool part is the look: those tall, filament-y front dorsal spines plus the bold bars and tail-spot make it stand out fast when you see one.
Highfin threadsail
Hime diactithrix
This is a deepwater little threadsail/flagfin from the Western Pacific that lives way down on the continental shelf. Its whole vibe is that tall, sail-like dorsal fin with warm orange spotting and bands, but because it comes from around 200-300 m it is basically never an aquarium fish in any normal sense.
Highfin Toadfish
Torquigener altipinnis
This is a little Southwest Pacific puffer that hangs over sandy areas and has those tall, sickle-y dorsal and anal fins that give it the "highfin" look. In photos it is usually a brown-grey fish dusted with milky white spots, and the original description even mentions bright yellow on the lower half and fins. Like most puffers it is a curious, nippy little carnivore, and it is not a great "community tank" type of fish.
Highland swordtail
Xiphophorus malinche
Xiphophorus malinche is a smaller, cooler-water swordtail from fast, clear rivers in Mexico, and the males can show a really neat golden-brown look with blue/purple sheen plus a short yellow sword. It is a livebearer, but it is not the "toss it in a warm community tank" kind of swordtail - it does best kept cool with very clean, oxygen-rich water.
Himachal stone loach
Schistura himachalensis
This is a tiny Himalayan hillstream Schistura that stays close to the bottom and spends its day nosing around between gravel and stones. In a tank they do best when you set it up like a little fast creek - lots of oxygen, clean water, and a bunch of rock piles so they can claim personal space.
Hoki
Macruronus novaezelandiae
This is hoki (also sold as blue grenadier) — a deepwater, slope-associated marine fish found around New Zealand and southern Australia (and also off South America). It reaches about 1.2–1.3 m and lives in deep, cool waters, making it unsuitable for home aquaria.
Honey gourami
Trichogaster chuna
Honey gouramis are those little chill labyrinth fish that spend a lot of time cruising the upper half of the tank and "feeling" around with their long thread-like belly fins. Give them plants (especially floaters) and calm tankmates and they really settle in-males can glow that warm honey/orange color and will build bubble nests at the surface.