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.

Endangered Rare Popular Peaceful Small (6 cm or less)Calm water Strong flow Schooling L-numbers With photo Basic profiles too

Showing: Flow: Strong current ✕

Strong current 25 fish

← Earlier fishes

Red top trewavasae

Red top trewavasae

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Cichlids · LabeotropheusLC

Predator. Eats any fish that fits in its mouth.

Red top trewavasae

Labeotropheus trewavasae

Lake Malawi: algae-covered rocky shores and islands, many localities · lake

Temperature: 24–28°C
pH: 7.6–8.8
Adult size: 4 in · 11.3 cm
Flow: Strong
Swims: Mid-water
Temperament: Aggressive
Diet: Herbivore
Group: 4+
Status in the wild: Least concern

Predator. Eats any fish that fits in its mouth.

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

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Photo: Jutta234, CC BY-SA 3.0

Salvini cichlid

Salvini cichlid

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Cichlids · TrichromisLC

Predator. Eats any fish that fits in its mouth.

Salvini cichlid

Trichromis salvini

Atlantic slope, S Mexico through Guatemala to Belize · river

Temperature: 22–32°C
pH: 7–8
Adult size: 9 in · 22 cm
Flow: Strong
Swims: Mid-water
Temperament: Aggressive
Diet: Carnivore
Group: 2+
Status in the wild: Least concern

Predator. Eats any fish that fits in its mouth.

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Photo: geosesarma, CC BY 4.0

Saulosi

Saulosi

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Cichlids · ChindongoCR

Predator. Eats any fish that fits in its mouth.

Saulosi

Chindongo saulosi

Lake Malawi: Taiwan Reef only, ~9 km NW of Chizumulu Island, Malawi · lake

Temperature: 23–27°C
pH: 7.4–8.4
Adult size: 3 in · 8.6 cm
Flow: Strong
Swims: Mid-water
Temperament: Territorial
Diet: Herbivore
Group: 4+
Status in the wild: Critically endangered

Predator. Eats any fish that fits in its mouth.

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

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Photo: Gerard Delany, CC BY-SA 4.0

Zebra danio

Zebra danio

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Rasboras & danios · DanioStaple

Zebra danio

Danio rerio

Streams and paddies of India and Bangladesh · stream

Temperature: 18–26°C
pH: 6.5–8
Adult size: 2 in · 5 cm
Flow: Strong
Swims: Top and mid-water
Temperament: Peaceful
Diet: Omnivore
Group: 6+
Typical price: $2–4
Rarity: Pet-store staple

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Photo: Roundish, CC0

Galaxy vampire

L029

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Plecos · LeporacanthicusRare

The vampire pleco.

Galaxy vampire

L029

Leporacanthicus galaxias

Rio Tocantins and nearby Pará rivers, Brazil · rapids

Temperature: 26–30°C
pH: 5.5–7.5
Adult size: 10 in · 25 cm
Flow: Strong
Swims: Bottom
Temperament: Aggressive
Diet: Carnivore
Breeding: Hard
Typical price: $60–200
In Canada: Occasional
Rarity: Rare or hard to breed

The vampire pleco. Beautiful, but it gets large and bullies smaller plecos.

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Three-beacon vampire

L091

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Plecos · LeporacanthicusRare

Eats snails and holds a cave firmly.

Three-beacon vampire

L091

Leporacanthicus triactis

Orinoco, Venezuela · rapids

Temperature: 26–30°C
pH: 5.5–7.5
Adult size: 8 in · 20 cm
Flow: Strong
Swims: Bottom
Temperament: Territorial
Diet: Carnivore
Breeding: Hard
Typical price: $60–150
In Canada: Occasional
Rarity: Rare or hard to breed

Eats snails and holds a cave firmly. Can be rough with smaller plecos.

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Snowball

L102

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Plecos · HypancistrusLC

Bigger, sparser white spots than L201, and a bigger fish overall.

Snowball

L102

Hypancistrus inspector

Upper Rio Negro and Casiquiare, Venezuela and Brazil · rapids

Temperature: 22–30°C
pH: 5–7.5
Adult size: 6 in · 16 cm
Flow: Strong
Swims: Bottom
Temperament: Peaceful
Diet: Omnivore
Breeding: Moderate
Typical price: $40–80
In Canada: Occasional
Status in the wild: Least concern

Bigger, sparser white spots than L201, and a bigger fish overall.

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Big white spot

L142

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Plecos · BaryancistrusRare

Big white spots on black with white fin edges.

Big white spot

L142

Xingu and Tapajós basins, Brazil · rapids

Temperature: 27–30°C
pH: 5.5–7.5
Adult size: 10 in · 25 cm
Flow: Strong
Swims: Bottom
Temperament: Territorial
Diet: Omnivore
Breeding: Hard
Typical price: $80–200
In Canada: Rare
Rarity: Rare or hard to breed

Big white spots on black with white fin edges. Striking, but big and territorial.

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Moon pleco

L368

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Plecos · ScobinancistrusRare

Large white spots on black.

Moon pleco

L368

Unknown origin · rapids

Temperature: 27–31°C
pH: 5.5–7.5
Adult size: 12 in · 30 cm
Flow: Strong
Swims: Bottom
Temperament: Territorial
Diet: Carnivore
Breeding: Rarely
Typical price: $150–400
In Canada: Rare
Rarity: Rare or hard to breed

Large white spots on black. A big snail-eater that grows to about 30 cm, so it needs a large tank.

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