Freshwater fishes
542 species, each with the water it needs, who it gets along with, and where it comes from. Find one, or browse by family, genus or river.
Hypancistrus14 fish
Peckoltia5 fish
Ancistrus4 fish
Apistogramma4 fish
Corydoras4 fish
Panaqolus4 fish
Pseudacanthicus4 fish
Aulonocara3 fish
Baryancistrus3 fish
Hyphessobrycon3 fish
Leporacanthicus3 fish
Neolamprologus3 fish
Poecilia3 fish
Scobinancistrus3 fish
Amphilophus2 fish
Andinoacara2 fish
Chindongo2 fish
Danio2 fish
Hemiancistrus2 fish
Hemigrammus2 fish
Maylandia2 fish
Melanotaenia2 fish
Mikrogeophagus2 fish
Panaque2 fish
Paracheirodon2 fish
Pterophyllum2 fish
Trichogaster2 fish
Xiphophorus2 fish
Altolamprologus1 fish
Amatitlania1 fish
Astronotus1 fish
Beaufortia1 fish
Betta1 fish
Boraras1 fish
Carassius1 fish
Caridina1 fish
Carinotetraodon1 fish
Carnegiella1 fish
Chromobotia1 fish
Cichla1 fish
Cleithracara1 fish
Crossocheilus1 fish
Cyphotilapia1 fish
Gymnocorymbus1 fish
Gymnogeophagus1 fish
Heros1 fish
Herotilapia1 fish
Julidochromis1 fish
Labeotropheus1 fish
Labidochromis1 fish
Lamprologus1 fish
Melanochromis1 fish
Neocaridina1 fish
Neritina1 fish
Otocinclus1 fish
Pangio1 fish
Parachromis1 fish
Pelvicachromis1 fish
Pethia1 fish
Phenacogrammus1 fish
Placidochromis1 fish
Pterygoplichthys1 fish
Puntigrus1 fish
Puntius1 fish
Rineloricaria1 fish
Rocio1 fish
Sciaenochromis1 fish
Sewellia1 fish
Symphysodon1 fish
Tanichthys1 fish
Thorichthys1 fish
Trichopodus1 fish
Trichopsis1 fish
Trichromis1 fish
Trigonostigma1 fish
Tropheus1 fish
Unknown2 fish
Lake Malawi13 fish
Xingu13 fish
Amazon12 fish
Mexico & Central America11 fish
Southeast Asia11 fish
Orinoco10 fish
Lake Tanganyika8 fish
South Asia6 fish
East Asia5 fish
Rio Negro5 fish
Tocantins5 fish
Rio Madeira4 fish
Tapajós4 fish
Africa3 fish
Caribbean coast3 fish
Curuá2 fish
Guianas2 fish
Man-made2 fish
New Guinea2 fish
Paraná & Paraguay2 fish
Rio Tapajós2 fish
Rio Tocantins2 fish
South America (widespread)2 fish
Essequibo1 fish
Nanay1 fish
Pacific South America1 fish
Upper Amazon1 fish
Unknown origin7 fishPterygoplichthys joselimaianus
Tocantins–Araguaia basin, Brazil · river
A sailfin that grows to about 30 cm and makes a lot of waste. Big tanks only.
Photo: 5snake5, CC BY-SA 4.0
Peckoltia vittata
Lower Amazon and Xingu basins, Brazil · river
A small Peckoltia with bold yellow and dark bands. Peaceful, and a different genus from L236.
Photo: Gabriel Lelis Togni, CC BY 3.0
Panaqolus maccus
Orinoco basin, Venezuela and Colombia · river
A small wood-eater with orange bands. Needs driftwood to rasp and tops out around 28°C.
Photo: Jarne Colman, CC0
Peckoltia compta
Rio Tapajós, Brazil · river
Yellow with black saddles. A different genus from L236, so no hybrid risk in the display.
Photo: Frank M Greco, CC BY 3.0
Aquarium-bred strain. Its wild origin isn’t well documented. · river
Yellow bristlenose with blue eyes. Easy and cheap, but happier below 28°C. L144a is the longfin form.
Photo: Corydoras-adolfoi, CC BY-SA 4.0
Ancistrus dolichopterus
Rio Negro, Brazil · river
Black with white stars and white fin edges. The prettiest bristlenose, but it prefers cooler, soft water.
Photo: Alberto Mejia-Paniagua, CC BY NC SA
≈
Plecos · PanaqueRare
Red eyes and pinstripes, but it grows to about 40 cm and eats a lot of wood.
Panaque nigrolineatus
Orinoco basin, Colombia and Venezuela · river
Red eyes and pinstripes, but it grows to about 40 cm and eats a lot of wood.
Photo: Neale Monks, CC BY-SA 3.0
Hypancistrus cf. contradens
Middle Orinoco, Venezuela · rapids
Crisp white dots and white fin edges. A classic first Hypancistrus.
Photo: thepigeongirl, CC BY NC
Panaqolus albivermis
Peruvian Amazon · river
White vermiculation with orange-red fin edges. A wood-eater, so add driftwood and vegetables.
Photo: Hantanplan, CC0
Near Alenquer, lower Amazon, Brazil · river
Orange-and-dark banded Panaqolus, also sold as the Alenquer tiger. Needs driftwood.
Photo: Fish Tank Society, CC BY-SA 4.0
Caridina multidentata
Coastal streams of Japan and Taiwan · stream
Invertebrate. Many fish will eat it, so choose tank mates with care.
Photo: Jolielover, CC BY 4.0
Melanochromis auratus
Lake Malawi: rocky shores of the west and south coasts, up the east coast to Nkhomo Reef · lake
Predator. Eats any fish that fits in its mouth.
Hard water. Needs hard, alkaline water, like its rift lake.
Photo: 5snake5, CC0
Gymnocorymbus ternetzi
Paraguay and Guaporé basins · river
Fin nipper. Keep it away from long-finned fish.
Photo: emptyvi, CC BY-SA 3.0
Amphilophus citrinellus × Vieja melanurus
Man-made: Taiwan, about 1986
Predator. Eats any fish that fits in its mouth.
Photo: Kieron Wood, CC BY-SA 3.0
Andinoacara pulcher
Trinidad and northern Venezuela (incl. Apure llanos) · river
Predator. Eats any fish that fits in its mouth.
Photo: 5snake5, CC0
Melanotaenia boesemani
Ayamaru Lakes, West Papua · lake
Photo: H. Zell, CC BY-SA 3.0
Showing 16 of 65
