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

The fishes 55 fish · new every day

← Earlier fishes

Mega clown

L340

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Plecos · HypancistrusUncommon

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

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.

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Golden pencilfish

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Tetras · NannostomusStaple

Golden pencilfish

Nannostomus beckfordi

Amazon basin and the Guianas · blackwater stream

Temperature: 24–28°C
pH: 5.5–7.5
Adult size: 1.8 in · 4.5 cm
Flow: Calm
Swims: Top and mid-water
Temperament: Peaceful
Diet: Omnivore
Group: 6+
Typical price: $3–6
Rarity: Pet-store staple

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King tiger (Xingu)

L333

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Plecos · HypancistrusStaple

Yellow-cream maze that changes from fish to fish.

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.

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Queen arabesque

L260

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Plecos · HypancistrusUncommon

Fine white maze lines on black.

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.

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Rio Curuá pleco

L401

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Plecos · HypancistrusUncommon

Dark with a golden net pattern.

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.

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Colombian zebra

L129

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Plecos · HypancistrusLC

Small and busy, with thin black-and-white stripes.

Colombian zebra

L129

Hypancistrus debilittera

Rio Guaviare and upper Orinoco, Colombia · river

Temperature: 25–29°C
pH: 6.5–7.5
Adult size: 4 in · 10 cm
Flow: Gentle
Swims: Bottom
Temperament: Peaceful
Diet: Omnivore
Breeding: Easy
Typical price: $35–70
In Canada: Common
Status in the wild: Least concern

Small and busy, with thin black-and-white stripes. Easy to breed.

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Super white

L236

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Plecos · HypancistrusRare

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

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.

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