Save the Little Fish

Freshwater fishes

The fish list

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.

Gentle current 65 fish

Wormline peckoltia

L135

Plecos · PeckoltiaUncommon

Dark body covered in fine gold worm-lines.

Unknown origin

Wormline peckoltia

L135

Unknown origin · river

Temperature
25–29°C
pH
5.5–7.5
Adult size
5 in · 12 cm
Flow
Gentle
Swims
Bottom
Temperament
Peaceful
Diet
Omnivore
Breeding
Moderate
Typical price
$40–80
In Canada
Occasional
Rarity
Uncommon

Dark body covered in fine gold worm-lines. Peaceful and easy to keep.

Angelicus

L136

Plecos · HypancistrusUncommon

Sold as L136a, b and c.

Middle Rio Negro, Brazil

Angelicus

L136

Middle Rio Negro, Brazil · rapids

Temperature
23–29°C
pH
5–7
Adult size
4 in · 9 cm
Flow
Gentle
Swims
Bottom
Temperament
Peaceful
Diet
Omnivore
Breeding
Moderate
Typical price
$40–120
In Canada
Occasional
Rarity
Uncommon

Sold as L136a, b and c. Keep one variant per breeding pair so fry stay true.

Spotted zebra

L174

Plecos · HypancistrusUncommon

Small, with dense fine gold dots on black.

Rio Xingu, Brazil

Spotted zebra

L174

Hypancistrus yudja

Rio Xingu, Brazil · river

Temperature
26–30°C
pH
6–7.2
Adult size
2 in · 5 cm
Flow
Gentle
Swims
Bottom
Temperament
Peaceful
Diet
Omnivore
Breeding
Hard, slow
Typical price
$60–150
In Canada
Occasional
Rarity
Uncommon

Small, with dense fine gold dots on black. Patterns vary, so check photos before buying.

Peppermint bristlenose

L181

Plecos · AncistrusUncommon

Black with white spots and bright white fin edges.

Unknown origin

Peppermint bristlenose

L181

Unknown origin · river

Temperature
24–28°C
pH
5.5–7.5
Adult size
5 in · 13 cm
Flow
Gentle
Swims
Bottom
Temperament
Peaceful
Diet
Omnivore
Breeding
Moderate
Typical price
$60–120
In Canada
Occasional
Rarity
Uncommon

Black with white spots and bright white fin edges. A standout bristlenose, but it prefers slightly cooler water than L236.

Super white

L236

Plecos · HypancistrusRare

Grading is by how much white shows, and the whitest fish sell for the most.

Rio Xingu, Pará, Brazil

Super white

L236

Hypancistrus seideli

Rio Xingu, Pará, Brazil · river

Temperature
26–30°C
pH
5–7
Adult size
5 in · 11.7 cm
Flow
Gentle
Swims
Bottom
Temperament
Peaceful
Diet
Omnivore
Breeding
Moderate, slow
Typical price
$200–1000
In Canada
Rare
Rarity
Rare or hard to breed

Grading is by how much white shows, and the whitest fish sell for the most. Best at 29–30°C with strong flow and protein-heavy food.

Queen arabesque

L260

Plecos · HypancistrusUncommon

Fine white maze lines on black.

Rio Tapajós, Brazil

Queen arabesque

L260

Rio Tapajós, Brazil · rapids

Temperature
24–30°C
pH
5.5–7.5
Adult size
4 in · 9 cm
Flow
Gentle
Swims
Bottom
Temperament
Peaceful
Diet
Omnivore
Breeding
Moderate
Typical price
$60–150
In Canada
Occasional
Rarity
Uncommon

Fine white maze lines on black. One of the most refined patterns in the genus.

King tiger (Xingu)

L333

Plecos · HypancistrusStaple

Yellow-cream maze that changes from fish to fish.

Rio Xingu and Rio Iriri, Brazil

King tiger (Xingu)

L333

Hypancistrus seideli

Rio Xingu and Rio Iriri, Brazil · river

Temperature
26–30°C
pH
5.5–7.5
Adult size
5 in · 11.7 cm
Flow
Gentle
Swims
Bottom
Temperament
Peaceful
Diet
Omnivore
Breeding
Moderate
Typical price
$40–150
In Canada
Common
Rarity
Pet-store staple

Yellow-cream maze that changes from fish to fish. High-grade fish cost more. Very productive, so fry are easy to rehome.

Mega clown

L340

Plecos · HypancistrusUncommon

Thick, irregular white bands on black, like a coarse zebra.

Tapajós basin, Brazil

Mega clown

L340

Tapajós basin, Brazil · rapids

Temperature
25–29°C
pH
6–7.2
Adult size
4 in · 10 cm
Flow
Gentle
Swims
Bottom
Temperament
Peaceful
Diet
Omnivore
Breeding
Moderate
Typical price
$40–120
In Canada
Occasional
Rarity
Uncommon

Thick, irregular white bands on black, like a coarse zebra.

Tankei tiger

L398

Plecos · PanaqolusUncommon

A small banded wood-eater.

Rio Xingu, Brazil

Tankei tiger

L398

Panaqolus tankei

Rio Xingu, Brazil · river

Temperature
25–29°C
pH
5.5–7.5
Adult size
4 in · 10 cm
Flow
Gentle
Swims
Bottom
Temperament
Peaceful
Diet
Wood
Breeding
Moderate
Typical price
$30–60
In Canada
Occasional
Rarity
Uncommon

A small banded wood-eater. Add driftwood and vegetables.

Rio Curuá pleco

L401

Plecos · HypancistrusUncommon

Dark with a golden net pattern.

Rio Curuá, Iriri–Xingu basin, Brazil

Rio Curuá pleco

L401

Rio Curuá, Iriri–Xingu basin, Brazil · rapids

Temperature
26–30°C
pH
6–7
Adult size
6 in · 14 cm
Flow
Gentle
Swims
Bottom
Temperament
Peaceful
Diet
Omnivore
Breeding
Moderate
Typical price
$50–100
In Canada
Occasional
Rarity
Uncommon

Dark with a golden net pattern. It can cross with L236, so only mix them in a tank you won’t sell fry from.

Dwarf snowball

L471

Plecos · HypancistrusUncommon

A small, white-spotted Hypancistrus.

Unknown origin

Dwarf snowball

L471

Unknown origin · rapids

Temperature
26–30°C
pH
6–7
Adult size
2.8 in · 7 cm
Flow
Gentle
Swims
Bottom
Temperament
Peaceful
Diet
Omnivore
Breeding
Easy–moderate
Typical price
$25–60
In Canada
Occasional
Rarity
Uncommon

A small, white-spotted Hypancistrus. It can cross with L236, so only mix them in a tank you won’t sell fry from.

Honeycomb bristlenose

L519

Plecos · AncistrusUncommon

A honeycomb-patterned bristlenose that Canadian hobbyists breed.

Rio Guaporé (Itenez), Bolivia–Brazil border

Honeycomb bristlenose

L519

Rio Guaporé (Itenez), Bolivia–Brazil border · river

Temperature
23–28°C
pH
5.5–7.5
Adult size
5 in · 12 cm
Flow
Gentle
Swims
Bottom
Temperament
Peaceful
Diet
Omnivore
Breeding
Easy
Typical price
$30–60
In Canada
Occasional
Rarity
Uncommon

A honeycomb-patterned bristlenose that Canadian hobbyists breed. Easy, but it prefers water a little cooler than L236.

Acei

Cichlids · Pseudotropheus

Predator. Eats any fish that fits in its mouth.

Lake Malawi: west-coast sandy shores, Nkhata Bay to Karonga and Senga Bay, Malawi

Acei

Pseudotropheus sp. 'acei'

Lake Malawi: west-coast sandy shores, Nkhata Bay to Karonga and Senga Bay, Malawi · lake

Temperature
24–28°C
pH
7.6–8.8
Adult size
5 in · 12.5 cm
Flow
Gentle
Swims
Mid-water
Temperament
Semi-aggressive
Diet
Herbivore
Group
4+

Predator. Eats any fish that fits in its mouth.

Hard water. Needs hard, alkaline water, like its rift lake.

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