Fish That Start With W
Browse all aquarium fish species with common names beginning with "W". Each profile includes care requirements, water parameters, tank size recommendations, and compatibility information for freshwater, marine, and brackish species.
Welcome to the 'W' species index page, a section dedicated to the diverse world of aquarium fish whose scientific names start with this letter. Here, you can discover notable species such as the Warrior Tetra (Tanichthys albonubes) and the Whitetailed Wrasse (Coris aygula), which showcase a range of behaviors and care requirements. Whether you’re after vibrant community fish or unique specimens, this index is here to help every aquarium enthusiast.
Weed cardinalfish
Foa brachygramma
This is a tiny Hawaiian cardinalfish that hangs around sheltered shallows - think seagrass, algae, and rubble - and it even wanders into brackish and sometimes fresh water. Its vibe is classic cardinalfish: mellow, a little shy, and way more interesting once the lights go down. Also cool trivia: the males mouthbrood the eggs.
Whale catfish
Rita rita
Rita rita is a big, predatory river catfish from South Asia that spends most of its time cruising the bottom and waiting to ambush food. Juveniles can look kind of "cute and manageable" in the shop, but this fish is basically a tank-buster that will eventually want serious space and will absolutely snack on anything it can fit in its mouth.
Whiptail catfish
Rineloricaria henselii
Rineloricaria henselii is a small loricariid (whiptail) catfish from southern Brazil (reported from the Cubatão River, Santa Catarina) reaching about 7.5 cm standard length.
Whiptail catfish (Twig catfish)
Farlowella acus
Farlowella acus is that classic twig-looking whiptail that can sit on wood and basically disappear - it really does look like a little stick with fins. It is super chill and spends most of its time grazing and picking at surfaces, so it does best in a mature tank with stable water and plenty of stuff to cling to.
White Cloud Mountain Minnow
Tanichthys albonubes
White Clouds are tiny little stream minnows with that neat glowing stripe and red-tipped fins, and they look way better the cooler you keep them. They're super active in a group and do this constant "busy schooling" thing in the top/middle of the tank-really fun fish when you give them space to zip around.
White-Edged (Albimarginata) Betta
Betta albimarginata
This is one of those wild bettas that feels more like a tiny aquarium predator than a "fancy fin" betta-sleek, quick, and always watching what's going on. The males are awesome with that crisp white edging on the fins, and the coolest part is the dad carries the eggs in his mouth, so you'll sometimes see him just chilling and not eating for a bit while he incubates.
White-cheeked goby
Rhinogobius duospilus
This is one of those little stream gobies that acts like it's glued to the rocks-its pelvic fins form a suction-cup so it can hang out in flow. Males can color up really nicely and they'll claim a favorite cave/stone like a tiny bouncer, but in a well-structured tank they're super fun to watch cruise the bottom and perch.
Whitebanded sharpnose wrasse
Wetmorella albofasciata
This is one of those tiny, cryptic wrasses that spends a lot of time weaving through rockwork and poking into little cracks like it is on a constant scavenger hunt. The big eyes and sharp snout give it a weird-cute "mini predator" look, and it really shines in a peaceful reef where it feels safe enough to come out and cruise.
Whitebarred pink wrasse
Pseudocheilinus ocellatus
This is the fish most of us know as the Mystery Wrasse - a shy little reef wrasse with a bright yellow face, faint-to-bold white bars, and that signature eyespot back by the tail. It spends a lot of time weaving through rockwork and popping out to hunt tiny critters, and it can get surprisingly bossy once it feels settled in. Give it caves, a tight lid, and a steady meaty diet and it turns into a really fun, personable showpiece.
Wicker-work sole
Zebrias craticulus
This is a small striped sole from northern Australia that basically lives life glued to the sand, doing that classic flatfish thing where it vanishes the second it settles in. Those tight cross-bands that run right onto the fins are the whole vibe - it really does look like wicker-work up close. Not an aquarium fish for most people, but it is a super cool species if you are into oddball bottom-dwellers.
Williaminae glass fish
Parachela williaminae
Parachela williaminae is one of those sleek, silvery river "glass fish" types from the Mekong/Chao Phraya systems - built for current and open-water cruising. It is not a tiny rasbora-style fish at all (it can hit around 12 cm/4.7 in), so think "active river minnow" and plan space and flow accordingly.
Wouter's pygmygoby
Trimma woutsi
Trimma woutsi is a true pygmy reef goby - maxing out around an inch - that spends its life perched close to the rockwork in shallow reef zones. Its tiny size is the whole game here: it is perfect for a peaceful nano reef where it can pick at micro-foods all day and not get bullied off meals.
Wrestling halfbeak
Dermogenys pusilla
This is that quirky little surface-dweller with the long lower "beak" that's always cruising the top and snapping at food. The males do these goofy jaw-locking sparring matches (that's where the "wrestling" name comes from), so you'll want space and lots of floaters to keep everyone chill. They're also famous jumpers-tight lid is non‑negotiable.
Wry snailfish
Careproctus staufferi
Careproctus staufferi is a deepwater snailfish (family Liparidae) described from the central Aleutian Islands, Alaska (North Pacific) in 2016. The original description notes an overall red/pale coloration and a distinct lateral yellow slash across the dorsal part of the abdomen and posterior. It is a bathydemersal deep-sea species and is not a typical aquarium fish.
Wu's goby
Wuhanlinigobius polylepis
This is a tiny mangrove-and-mudflat goby from the western Pacific that spends its time on the bottom, often in really shallow brackish areas. The cool part is how "muddy" its lifestyle is - it gets found in puddles on exposed mud at low tide and can even be partly buried, so it appreciates a soft substrate and lots of cover if you ever try one.
Wuchang false sand loach
Parabotia banarescui
Parabotia banarescui is a Chinese botiid loach that stays low, cruises the bottom, and will wedge itself into rockwork like it was built for it. It is the sort of fish that acts shy at first, then turns into a busy, social little bulldozer once it feels secure and you keep it with its own kind.