Fish That Start With K
Browse all aquarium fish species with common names beginning with "K". Each profile includes care requirements, water parameters, tank size recommendations, and compatibility information for freshwater, marine, and brackish species.
The letter 'K' features some interesting aquarium fish. Notable species include the Kribensis (Pelvicachromis pulcher), a popular community fish known for its vibrant colors, and the Killifish (various genera), which are often sought after for their unique breeding behaviors. While our current database does not include species starting with 'K', this letter showcases a diverse range of captivating fish, from peaceful community dwellers to more specialized varieties.
Kaie's shield pleco
Corymbophanes kaiei
Small loricariid catfish from the Upper Potaro (Potaro River drainage above Kaieteur Falls) in Guyana; described as having distinct alternating light/dark bands on the caudal fin and diagnostic armored-pleco morphology.
Kampen's ilisha
Ilisha kampeni
Kampen's ilisha is a small, silvery coastal herring-relative that cruises nearshore waters and will also push into rivers when it feels like it. Its whole vibe is fast, open-water, plankton-and-small-fish hunting - not really a cozy planted-tank fish, more like a little pelagic sprinter that wants room and current.
Kaup's pipefish
Enneacampus kaupi
Enneacampus kaupi is a skinny little West African pipefish that likes to lurk through algae and basically cosplay as a piece of vegetation. Its whole vibe is slow, sneaky, and ultra-picky at feeding time - super cool if you enjoy target-feeding and watching hunting behavior up close. It shows up from brackish estuaries and coastal rivers, so a slightly brackish setup is often the safest long-term direction.
Kaup's snake eel
Yirrkala kaupii
Yirrkala kaupii is a skinny little snake eel that spends a lot of its time down on the bottom, and its whole vibe is more "hide and cruise" than "swim around for show". FishBase lists it as a freshwater-brackish, demersal tropical species from Indonesia and the Philippines, topping out around 35 cm (about 14 inches), so it is not really a standard home-aquarium fish.
Kelp gunnel
Ulvicola sanctaerosae
This is a skinny little kelp-forest perch that literally hangs out up in the kelp canopy and chills on the fronds. One of the coolest bits is how it uses its tail to wrap onto kelp like a grip, then picks off tiny crustaceans drifting by. Not really an aquarium trade fish, but its a super neat West Coast oddball if you ever see one while diving.
Kerala sole
Zebrias keralensis
This is a small, sand-hugging marine sole from the Kerala coast area, with that classic zebra-style banding that helps it vanish the second it settles onto the bottom. Its whole deal is staying low, burying in fine sand, and picking off tiny bottom critters - super cool fish, but not really something you see in the aquarium trade.
Kingi dragonfish
Bathophilus kingi
Bathophilus kingi is a tiny deep-sea dragonfish that lives way down in the dark, with that classic stomiid vibe: slim body, big teeth, and built for hunting in open water. It is not an aquarium fish in any realistic sense - it is a bathypelagic marine species that comes from extreme depths where pressure and conditions are totally different from home tanks.
Knight Goby
Stigmatogobius sadanundio
Knight gobies are those chunky, spotty "estuary" gobies that perch on the bottom, scoot between caves, and then suddenly dash out like little predators. They're super fun to watch because they're territorial in a goby way (lots of posturing) and they'll even breed in caves when they're happy. They do best long-term when you treat them like an estuary fish: hard, alkaline water and (often) a bit of salt.
Kribensis
Pelvicachromis pulcher
Kribensis are one of those dwarf cichlids that pack a ton of personality into a small fish-especially once they pick a cave and start acting like proud homeowners. The female's purple/red belly when she's in breeding mode is the real show-stealer, and the pair will do seriously impressive parent-care if they spawn.
Kryptos banjo catfish
Xyliphius kryptos
Xyliphius kryptos is one of those super-weird little banjo catfish that basically disappears into sand and leaf litter and acts like a living chunk of driftwood. It comes from the Lake Maracaibo basin in Venezuela, stays fairly small (around 11 cm), and spends most of its time hiding and cruising the bottom after dark.
Kurua jupiaba
Jupiaba kurua
Jupiaba kurua is a clearwater Xingu-basin characin that gets a lot bigger than your typical little tetra, with a cool speckled look on the scales and a solid dark spot on the tail base. Its a busy, midwater swimmer and an omnivore that will happily chase down insects and also pick at plant/algae bits, so it acts more like a chunky river tetra than a delicate community nano fish.