LIST OF FRESHWATER AQUARIUM FISH SPECIES

A vast number of species of fish have been successfully kept in the home aquarium. This list gives only some of the most commonly-kept species.
==Bichirs and reedfish==

Common name	Taxonomy	Picture	Size	Tank Type	Care Level	Remarks
Gray bichir	''Polypterus senegalus''		14"	Species
Reedfish	''Erpetoichthys calabaricus''		15.7"	Species

Common name	Taxonomy	Picture	Size	Tank Type	Care Level	Remarks
Arowanas
Arapaima	''Arapaima gigas''
Asian arowana	''Scleropages formosus''
Black arowana	''Osteoglossum ferreirai''
Silver arowana	''Osteoglossum bicirrhosum''
Australian Arowana	''Scleropages jardini ''
Featherback knifefish
African knifefish	''Xenomystus nigri''
Clown knifefish	''Chitala ornata''
Elephantfish
Blunt-jawed elephantnose	''Gnathonemus tamandu''		9"+		Difficult	Also called worm-jawed mormyrid, the elephantnose is nocturnal, but may learn to come out during the day. The elephantnose fish is a carnivore and will accept all types of meaty foods. Only one elephantnose or more than five should be kept per tank because aggression can build up if two to four are together. The probe in front of the fish is a sensitive electrical organ that it uses to find food. An elephantnose does best with a home which can be a cave or cave like structure.
Peters' elephantnose	''Gnathonemus petersii''
Butterflyfish
Freshwater butterflyfish	''Pantodon buchholzi''					not related to saltwater butterflyfish

==Catfish==

Common name	Taxonomy	Picture	Size	Tank Type	Care Level	Remarks
Armored catfish including Aspidoras, Brochis, Callichthys, and Corydoras
	''Aspidoras fuscoguttatus''
	''Aspidoras lakoi''
	''Aspidoras rochai''
Sixray corydoras, false corydoras	''Aspidoras pauciradiatus''
Britski's catfish	''Corydoras britskii''		3.5"
Emerald catfish	''Corydoras splendens''		4"
Hognosed brochis	''Corydoras multiradiatus''
Cascarudo	''Callichthys callichthys''
Adolfo's catfish	''Corydoras adolfoi''
Banded corydoras	''Scleromystax barbatus''
Masked corydoras	''Corydoras metae''
Barredtail corydoras	''Corydoras cochui''
Blackstripe corydoras	''Corydoras bondi''
Blacktop corydoras	''Corydoras acutus''
Blue corydoras	''Corydoras nattereri''
Bluespotted corydoras	''Corydoras melanistius''
Bronze corydoras	''Corydoras aeneus''					The albino strain is common
	''Corydoras atropersonatus''
	''Corydoras ehrhardti''
	''Corydoras evelynae''
	''Corydoras geoffroy''
	''Corydoras latus''
	''Corydoras loxozonus''
	''Corydoras nanus''
	''Corydoras narcissus''
	''Corydoras ornatus''
	''Corydoras osteocarus''
	''Corydoras polystictus''
	''Corydoras prionotos''
	''Corydoras semiaquilus''
	''Corydoras septentrionalis''
	''Corydoras simulatus''
	''Corydoras undulatus''
Dwarf corydoras	''Corydoras hastatus''
Elegant corydoras	''Corydoras elegans''
False network catfish	''Corydoras sodalis''
False spotted catfish	''Corydoras leucomelas''
Green gold catfish	''Corydoras melanotaenia''
Guapore corydoras	''Corydoras guapore''
Masked corydoras, bandit corydoras	''Corydoras metae''
Mosaic corydoras, reticulated corydoras	''Corydoras haraldschultzi''
Mosaic corydoras, reticulated corydoras	''Corydoras reticulatus''
Panda corydoras	''Corydoras panda''
Pastaza corydoras	''Corydoras pastazensis''
Peppered corydoras	''Corydoras paleatus''
Pink corydoras	''Corydoras axelrodi''
Pygmy corydoras	''Corydoras pygmaeus''
Sailfin corydoras	''Corydoras macropterus''
Salt and pepper catfish	''Corydoras habrosus''
Schwartz's catfish	''Corydoras schwartzi''
Spotted corydoras, longnose corydoras	''Corydoras ambiacus''
Sterba's corydoras	''Corydoras Sterbai''
Sychr's catfish	''Corydoras sychri''
Tailspot corydoras	''Corydoras caudimaculatus''
Threestripe corydoras, leopard catfish	''Corydoras trilineatus''
Xingu corydoras	''Corydoras xinguensis''
Armored suckermouth catfish (plecos)
Bristlenose pleco, bushynose placo	''Ancistrus'' spp.					the bristlenose genus has at least 59 identified species and many others yet to be named
Gold nugget pleco	''Baryancistrus'' spp.					many species exist but not yet officially identified; the three common aquarium species are known as L-018, L-081, and L-177
Whiptail catfish	''Rineloricaria'' spp.					there are about 20 species of whiptail catfish
Twig catfish	''Farlowella'' spp.					there are at least 20 species in the twig catfish genus
Panaque	''Panaque'' spp.					Several species of panaque are popular aquarium fish
Pineapple pleco, orange cheek pleco	''Pseudorinelepis'' spp.					there are 4 species in this genus
Common pleco, suckermouth catfish, Amazon sailfin catfish	''Pterygoplichthys pardalis''					one of the several fish sold under this name; there is also an albino variation
Common pleco, suckermouth catfish	''Hypostomus punctatus''					one of the several fish sold under this name
Common pleco, suckermouth catfish	''Hypostomus plecostomus''					one of the several fish sold under this name
Leopard sailfin pleco, clown sailfin pleco	''Pterygoplichthys gibbiceps''					other related fish also share this common name
Zebra pleco, L-046	''Hypancistrus zebra''
Sailfin catfish	''Pterygoplichthys multiradiatus''
Golden dwarf sucker, golden oto	''Otocinclus affinis''
Zebra dwarf sucker, zebra oto	''Otocinclus cocama''
Airbreathing catfish
Walking catfish	''Clarias batrachus''					albino form is common in the aquarium trade
Banjo catfish
Banjo catfish	''Bunocephalus coracoideus''
Talking catfish
Striped Raphael	''Platydoras costatus''
Spotted Raphael	''Agamyxis pectinifrons''
Squeakers and upside-down catfish
Cuckoo squeaker	''Synodontis multipunctatus''
Decorated squeaker	''Synodontis decorus''
Even-Spotted squeaker	''Synodontis petricola''
Featherfin squeaker	''Synodontis eupterus''
Lake Malawi syno	''Synodontis njassae''
Polka dot syno	''Synodontis angelicus''
Common syno, false upside down catfish	''Synodontis nigrita''
Upside-down catfish	''Synodontis nigriventris''		4" (9.6 cm)	Community		Prefers bottom feeding of ''Tubifex'' but main diet is algae.
Shark catfish
Iridescent shark	''Pangasius hypophthalmus''			Community		albino form is common in the aquarium trade
Chao Phraya giant shark, Giant pangasius	''Pangasius sanitwongsei''					dwarf "balloon" form is available in the aquarium trade
Sea catfish
Colombian shark catfish	''Arius semani''
Australian shark catfish	''Arius berneyi''
Berney's shark catfish	''Arius graeffei''
Sheatfish
Glass catfish	''Kryptopterus bicirrhis''
Two spot glass catfish	''Ompok bimaculatus''		18" (45 cm)			Looks very similar to ''Kryptopterus bicirrhis'' execpt the difference lies in the triangular dorsal fin of the ''Ompok'' in contrast to what looks like a small spine than a fin of the ''K. bicirrhis''.
Bagrid catfishes
Crystal eyed catfish	''Hemibagrus wyckii''		28" (71 cm)			This fish is highly aggressive and must be kept alone.
Asian redtail catfish	''Hemibagrus wyckioides''		50" (130 cm)			This fish is highly aggressive and must be kept alone.
	''Horabagrus brachysoma''		18" (45 cm)
Long-whiskered catfish
	''Leiarius marmoratus''		39" (100 cm)
	''Leiarius pictus''		24" (60 cm)
Redtail catfish	''Phractocephalus hemioliopterus''		4' (1.3 m)
Spotted pimelodus, pictus, Pictus catfish	''Pimelodus pictus''
Tiger shovelnose catfish	''Pseudoplatystoma fasciatum''		3.4' (104 cm)			This fish is easy to confuse with ''P. tigrinum''.
Tiger shovelnose catfish	''Pseudoplatystoma tigrinum''		4.3' (130 cm)			This fish is easy to confuse with ''P. fasciatum''.

==Characins and other characiformes==
Harlequin tetra

Common name	Taxonomy	Picture	Size	Tank Type	Care Level	Remarks
Tetras
Black phantom tetra	''Hyphessobrycon megalopterus''		1.75" (4.5cm)	Community	Easy	the black phantom tetra enjoy being in groups of 6 or more and a slightly shaded tank. Males may claim small territories and occasionally minor battles may occur. The Phantom tetra goes well with other tetras of similar size. They also prefer floating plants.
Black neon tetra	''Hyphessobrycon herbertaxelrodi''		1.6" (4cm)	Community	Intermediate	this fish is similar to the neon tetra other than coloration.
Black tetra	''Gymnocorymbus ternetzi''		2" (5cm)	Community	Easy	a highly spirted fish that may occasionally chase its own species as well as harass slow moving fish with long fins. This fish is very hardy and can stand a variety of water qualities. Disease is not a big problem with the black tetra. The black tetra is also known as the black skirt tetra. The female black tetra is more robust and larger than the male.
Bleeding heart tetra	''Hyphessobrycon erythrostigma''		2.5" (6.5 cm)	Community	Intermediate	the bleeding heart tetra is distinguished by the small red spot on both sides of the fish. This fish is very prone to diseases, and can grow larger than most tetra species. It is not recommended for beginners.
Bloodfin tetra	''Aphyocharax anisitsi''		2" (5cm)	Community
Bucktooth tetra	''Exodon paradoxus''		2" (5cm)			will eat smaller fish and harass larger fish
Buenos Aires tetra	''Hyphessobrycon anisitsi''		3" (7.5cm)		Easy
Cardinal tetra	''Paracheirodon axelrodi''		2" (5cm)	Community
Cave tetra, blind tetra	''Astyanax mexicanus''		4.7" (12cm)		Easy	cave tetra is the blind cave form of the Mexican tetra. The blind cave tetra is easy to care for and is hardy. The fish is born with eyes, but they quickly deteriorate leaving behind two scars where the eyes once were. The blind tetra needs to be in a shoal in order to show peaceful behavior, and to prevent fin nipping. Despite their lack of eyes, the blind cave tetra can easily avoid other fish and obstacles in the tank. This tetra prefers low to moderate lighting.
Congo tetra, Lufundi (native name)	''Phenacogrammus interruptus''		3" (7.5cm)	Community	Intermediate	Sufficiently peaceful for home aquariums, though it may bite fishes smaller than its size. It is more comfortable in indirect light. Over-head lighting is preferred and under no circumstances should light be directed at the front or rear glass.
Emperor tetra	''Nematobrycon palmeri''		2" (5cm)		Easy
Garnet tetra, pretty tetra	''Hemigrammus pulcher''		2.5" (6.5cm)	Community
Glowlight tetra	''Hemigrammus erythrozonus''		1.5" (3.75cm)	Community	Intermediate
Green neon tetra	''Paracheirodon simulans''		1" (2.5cm)	Community	Intermediate
Lemon tetra	''Hyphessobrycon pulchripinnis''		2" (5cm)
Neon tetra	''Paracheirodon innesi''		1.6" (3.75cm)	Community	Intermediate	the neon tetra is sensitive towards water quality and is susceptible to many freshwater diseases. However, the fish is very peaceful and will not attack another member of the tank. Females are larger than the males and appear as little whales. Due to their small size, the neon tetra should not be kept with large fish. Neon tetras are also very delicate and any harassment they may receive can result in death. This can be prevented by putting them with other small community fish or fish known to ignore their tankmates. The neon tetra feels the most comfortable when in groups.
Penguin tetra, blackline penguinfish	''Thayeria boehlkei''		2.5" (6.5cm)
Rummy-nose tetra	''Hemigrammus rhodostomus''		2" (5cm)	Community	Intermediate
Serpae tetra	''Hyphessobrycon serpae''		1.75" (4.5cm)	Community	Easy	this fish may nip the fins of slow moving fish or fish smaller than it. It is best put with other large tetras or with fish of similar size or larger.
Hatchetfish
Common hatchetfish	''Gasteropelecus sternicla''
Silver hatchetfish	''Gasteropelecus levis''
Marbled hatchetfish	''Carnegiella strigata''		2" (5cm)	Community	Intermediate	Peaceful and dwells at the top of the tank in schools. Rarely breeds in captivity. This powerful leaper can easily jump out of an aquarium, so keep only in a fully-covered tank.
Black-winged hatchetfish	''Carnegiella marthae''		1.5" (4cm)	Community	Intermediate	Peaceful and dwells at the top of the tank in schools. The most hardy of all the hatchetfish, but not the most plentiful. Does not breed in captivity. This powerful leaper can easily jump out of an aquarium, so keep only in a fully-covered tank.
Pencil fishes
Headstanders
Serrasalminae (pacus, piranhas, and silver dollars)
Silver dollar	''Metynnis argenteus''		6" (15cm)			The name "silver dollar" may also refer to ''Metynnis hypsauchen'', ''Metynnis maculatus'', or other related fishes.
Red bellied pacu	''Colossoma bidens''		48"		Difficult	the red bellied pacu is a close relative of the piranhas, but without the sharp teeth and the aggression. However, care should be taken if interacting physically with the pacu as their powerful jaws can crush human bone. The Pacu is a peaceful fish that requires at least a 200 gallon tank when fully mature. It is omnivorous and can be put with large cichlids, but avoid smaller fish. Despite their similar appearance to piranhas, the pacu is not suited to eat meat very well, as their natural diet of nuts suggests. Be aware that this fish can grow to four feet and the owner must be prepared to house them in a very large tank if they wish to keep the fish (200 gal minimum). Also be aware that this fish grows very fast, and can grow as much as one foot in the first year.

==Cichlids==

Common name	Taxonomy	Picture	Size	Tank Type	Care Level	Remarks
Lake Malawi cichlids
Sunshine peacock cichlid	''Aulonocara baenschi''		6"
Eureka red peacock	''Aulonocara jacobfreigi''		6"
Spilo	''Champsochromis spilorhyncus''		16"
Blue dolphin cichlid, lumphead cichlid	''Cyrtocara moorii''		10"
Afra cichlid, dogtooth cichild	''Cynotilapia afra''		3.9"
Rusty cichlid, lavender cichild	''Iodotropheus sprengerae''		4"
Flowerhorn			12"
Fuelleborn's cichlid	''Labeotropheus fuelleborni''		7"
Electric yellow cichlid	''Labidochromis caeruleus''		8"
Hongi, Red-top kimpumpa	''Labidochromis sp. "Hongi"''		5"
Labidochromis sp. "Mbamba Bay"	''Labidochromis sp. "Mbamba Bay"''		5"
Auratus cichlid, Malawi golden cichlid	''Melanochromis auratus''		3.9"
Chipokee cichlid	''Melanochromis chipokae''		4.7"
Blue johanni cichlid, Maingano	''Melanochromis cyaneorhabdos''
Melanochromis joanjohnsonae	''Melanochromis joanjohnsonae''		3.9"
Johanni cichlid	''Melanochromis johannii''		4.7"
Aurora	''Melanochromis aurora''		4"
Red zebra cichlid	''Metriaclima estherae''		4.7"
Cobalt blue cichlid, cobalt zebra cichlid	''Maylandia callainos''		4.7"
Kenyi cichlid	''Maylandia lombardoi''		5"
Fusco	''Nimbochromis fuscotaeniatus''		10"
Livingston's cichlid	''Nimbochromis livingstonii''		9.8"
Kaligono	''Nimbochromis polystigma''		12"
Venustus cichlid, giraffe cichild	''Nimbochromis venustus''		10"
Red empress cichlid	''Protomelas taeniolatus''		5.9"
Bumblebee cichlid, hornet cichlid	''Pseudotropheus crabro''		5.9"
Pseudotropheus acei	''Pseudotropheus acei''		4"
Saulosi	''Pseudotropheus saulosi''		3"
Malawi barracuda	''Rhampsochromis cf. macrophthalmus''		9"
	''Tyrannochromis macrostoma''		15"
Lake Tanganyika cichlids
Boulengerochromis microlepsis	''Boulengerochromis microlepsis''		36"			The largest cichlid
Frontosa cichild	''Cyphotilapia frontosa''		16"
Frontosa cichild	''Cyphotilapia gibberosa''		16"			The frontosa have recently been broken up into three separate species. The gibberosa come from the southern part of the Lake
Frontosa cichild	''Cyphotilapia sp. "North"''		16"			This yet to be officially named species is intermediate in scale count between gibberosa and frontosa.
Julie cichlid	Julidochromis dickfeldi
Masked Julie	Julidochromis marlieri		6"f/4"m
Julie cichlid	Julidochromis ornatus
Julie cichlid	Julidochromis regani		6"f/4"m
Julie cichlid	Julidochromis transcriptus		4"
''Neolamprologus multifasciatus''	''Neolamprologus multifasciatus''		1½"			A small shell-dwelling cichlid from Lake Tanganyika. Distinguished from the similar L. similis by the lack of striping on the face]]
''Lamprologus ocellatus''	''Lamprologus ocellatus''		2"
''Neolamprologus similis''	''Neolamprologus similis''		1½"			A small shell-dwelling cichlid from Lake Tanganyika. Very similar to N. multifsciatus but similis has striping from the body continue to the head
Lobochilotes labiatus	''Lobochilotes labiatus''		16"
Lyretail cichlid, fairy cichlid	''Neolamprologus brichardi''		4"
''Lemon cichlid''	''Neolamprologus leleupi''		4½"
Featherfin	''Opthalmotilapia ventralis''		6"
Petrochromis trewavasae	''Petrochromis trewavasae''		8"
Petrochromis sp. "Zaire Texas"	''Petrochromis sp. "Zaire Texas"''		7"
Simochromis pleurospilus	''Simochromis pleurospilus''		4"
Tropheus duboisi	''Tropheus duboisi''		5"
Tropheus moorii	''Tropheus moorii''		5½"
Tropheus polli	''Tropheus polli''		5½"
Lake Victoria cichlids
	''Astatotilapia aenocolor''		5"
	''Astatotilapia elegans''		4"
Zebra obliquidens	''Astatotilapia latifasciata''		4½"
Astatotilapia nubila	''Astatotilapia nubila''		4½"
	''Astatotilapia piceatus''		4"
	''Astatotilapia schubotziellus''		4"
Haplochromis obliquedens	''Astatotilapia sp "Red Tail"''		4½"
	''Astatotilapia sp. "Spot Bar"''		5"
Hippo Point Salmon	''Ptyochromis sp. "Hippo Point Salmon"''		5½"
Flameback	''Pundamilia nyererei''		4"
Xystichromis phytophagus	''Xystichromis phytophagus''		4"
Miscellaneous African cichlids (non-Rift Lake)
African butterfly cichlid	''Anomalochromis thomasi''
Jewel cichlid, two-spotted jewel cichlid	''Hemichromis bimaculatus''					other hemichromis species are sometimes sold under the same name
Lifalili jewel cichlid, blood-red jewel cichlid	Hemichromis lifalili
Kribensis, krib	''Pelvicachromis pulcher''
Zebra tilapia	''Tilapia buttikoferi''
Dwarf cichlids (apistogrammas, rams and others)
Agassiz's dwarf cichlid	''Apistogramma agassizii''
Yellow dwarf cichlid	''Apistogramma borellii''
Cockatoo dwarf cichlid	''Apistogramma cacatuoides''
Panda dwarf cichlid	''Apistogramma nijsseni''
Three-Stripe Dwarf Cichlid	''Apistogramma trifasciata''
Two-Stripe Dwarf Cichlid	''Apistogramma bitaeniata''		3"	10 gallon tank for one pair	Intermediate
Checkerboard Cichlid	''Dicrossus filamentosus''
Blue ram, German ram	''Mikrogeophagus ramirezi''
Bolivian ram	''Mikrogeophagus altispinosa''
Dwarf flag cichlid	''Laetacara curviceps''
American cichlids (cichlasomas, acaras, angelfish, discuses, and others)
Midas cichild, red devil cichlid	''Amphilophus citrinellus''					Note that Amphilophus labiatus is also called red devil cichild
Red devil cichlid	''Amphilophus labiatus''
Firemouth cichlid	''Cichlasoma meeki''
Jack Dempsey cichlid	''Cichlasoma octofasciatum''
Jaguar cichlid, managuense cichlid	''Cichlasoma managuense''
Mayan cichlid	''Cichlasoma urophthalmus''
Convict cichlid	''Archocentrus nigrofasciatus''
T-bar cichlid	''Archocentrus sajica''
Severum	Heros severus					the gold variety is more common than the natural green one
Green terror	''Aequidens rivulatus''
Blue acara	''Aequidens pulcher''
Thread-finned acara	''Acarichthys heckelii''
Eartheater cichlid	''Geophagus altifrons''
Keyhole cichlid	''Cleithracara maronii''
Angelfish	''Pterophyllum scalare''		6"		Intermediate	several color varieties; this species is the common anglefish in the aquarium trade. Angelfish can grow up to six inches, and therefore should be housed in a large aquarium. Angelfish should be kept alone, or kept with three or more. This is because that if two are kept together, the larger fish will pick on the smaller fish. Angelfish are not as hardy as other cichlids and should not be kept with small fish such as neon tetras. However, just the opposite is true: Angelfish should not be kept with fish that may nip and annoy it such as some large tetras.
Altum angelfish	''Pterophyllum altum''
Spotted angelfish	''Pterophyllum leopoldi''
Common discus, red discus	''Symphysodon discus''		8"		Difficult	various color varieties, the discus requires high water quality and a varied diet. Do not keep with fast fish as the discus is a slow eater and will not fight for food. Despite their beauty, the discus is one of the least hardy aquarium fishes available. This fish should only be kept by the experienced aquarium keeper.
Blue discus, green discus	''Symphysodon aequifasciatus''		8"		Difficult	fancy hybrids of this species and Symphysodon discus can also be found in trade
Chocolate cichlid	''Hypselecara temporalis''
Oscar	''Astronotus ocellatus''		18"			has different varieties including long-fin, albino, golden, etc. The oscar cichlid is fast growing and can grow to a very large size when mature, and therefore should be housed in a large aquarium. The oscar can be messy to look after as they love to dig up plants and scoop up rocks. The oscar should be put with fish of similar size as they will eat any fish that can fit in their mouth. The oscar prefers to be with members of its own species, but this is not a necessity for its well being. The oscar is one of the more hardy cichlids, and can be put with other large cichlids, pacus, large plecos, large sharks, and other large fish.
Uaru, waroo	''Uaru amphiacanthoides''
Peacock bass, butterfly peacock bass	''Cichla orinocensis''
Texas cichlid, Rio Grande cichlid	''Herichthys cyanoguttatus''
Other cichlids
Orange chromide	''Etroplus maculatus''

==Cyprinids==

Common name	Taxonomy	Picture	Size	Tank Type	Care Level	Remarks
Barbs
Arulius barb	Puntius arulius		4.7"
Bigspot barb, Duncker's barb	Puntius dunckeri		5"			Peaceful when small but should not be kept with other species at adulthood.
Black ruby barb	Puntius nigrofasciatus		2.5"
Checker barb	Puntius oligolepis		2"
Cherry barb	Puntius titteya		1.6"	Community	Easy
Clipper barb	Barbus callipterus		3"
Clown barb	Puntius everetti		6"
Gold barb	Puntius semifasciolatus		3.1"	Community	Easy
Golden barb	Puntius gelius		2"
Greenstripe barb	Puntius vittatus		2"
Melon barb	Puntius fasciatus		6"
Onespot barb	Puntius terio		6"
Pentazona barb, fiveband barb	Puntius pentazona		2"			this species may be confused with tiger barb due to similarities
Pool barb	Puntius sophore		7"
Partipentazona barb	Puntius partipentazona		1.5"
Red line torpedo barb	Puntius denisonii		6"
Rosy barb	Puntius conchonius		5"	Community	Easy
Shortfin barb	Barbus brevipinnis		1.8"
Sixband barb	Puntius pentazona		2"
Spanner barb, t-barb	Puntius lateristriga		7.8"
Spotted barb, common barb	Puntius binotatus		7.75"
Spottedsail barb, dwarf barb	Puntius phutunio		3.1"
Swamp barb	Puntius chola		6"
Ticto barb	Barbus ticto		4"
Tic-tac-toe barb	Puntius stoliczkanus		2"
Tiger barb, sumatra barb	Puntius tetrazona		3"	Community	Easy	There are many varieties as well as hybrids with other barbs. Good community schooling fish. They are fin nippers.
Tinfoil barb	Barbonymus schwanenfeldii		14"
Cold-water cyprinids
Goldfish	Carassius auratus		6"+	Community	Easy	variations: Black Moor, Bubble Eye, Butterfly Tail, Calico, Celestial Eye, Comet, Common, Fantail, Lionchu, Lionhead, Oranda, Panda Moor, Pearlscale, Pompom, Ranchu, Ryukin, Shubunkin, Telescope eye, Veiltail
Koi, common carp	Cyprinus carpio		12"+	Community	Easy	the fancy variations of common carp are known as koi.
White Cloud Mountain minnow	Tanichthys albonubes		1.5"	Pond	Easy	lutino variety can also be found in the aquarium trade
Common dace	Leuciscus leuciscus		16"
Rosy red minnow, fathead minnow	Pimephales promelas		2"-3"	Pond/Minnow Tank	Easy	sold as feeder fish; the gold variety known as "rosy red" is very common
Southern redbelly dace	Phoxinus erythrogaster		3"-4"	Pond/Minnow Tank	Easy
Danios and other danionins
Bengal danio, Sind danio	Danio devario
Giant danio	Devario aequipinnatus
Malabar danio	Devario malabaricus
Pearl danio	Danio albolineatus					subspicies:blue-redstripe danio, Kedah danio
Queen danio	Devario regina
Spotted danio	Danio nigrofasciatus
Turquoise danio	Brachydanio kerri
Zebra danio	Brachydanio rerio		2"		Easy	there are many variations of this fish: leopard danio,the spotted colour morph, and GloFish, the genetically modified fluorescent fish.
Rasboras
Harlequin rasbora	Trigonostigma heteromorpha					Also known as Harlequin tetra
Blackline rasbora, red-tailed rasbora	Rasbora borapetensis
Red-striped rasbora	Rasbora pauciperforata		3"	Community		Range: Sumatra; Temperature: 22 - 29 °C (72 - 85 °F)
Volcano rasbora	Rasbora vulcanus
Other cyprinids
Bala shark	Balantiocheilus melanopterus			Community
Flying fox	Epalzeorhynchos kalopterus					this species may be sold as Siamese algae eater
Red-tailed black shark	Epalzeorhynchos bicolor
Red-finned shark	Epalzeorhynchos frenatum					albino variation available
Cambodian log sucker, false Siamese algae eater	Garra cambodgiensis					this species may be sold as Siamese algae eater
Chinese algae eater	Gyrinocheilus aymonieri					this species may be sold as Siamese algae eater
Siamese algae eater	Crossocheilus siamensis					many other cyprinids are sometimes mistakenly sold under this name

==Labyrinth fish==

Common name	Taxonomy	Picture	Size	Tank Type	Care Level	Remarks
Chocolate gourami	Sphaerichthys osphromenoides		2.75"
Croaking gourami	Trichopsis vittata		2.5"			Often confused with the pygmy gourami
Dwarf gourami	Colisa lalia		2"	Community	Intermediate	the dwarf gourami is perfect for small to mid sized aquariums as it will not grow as large as its larger relatives.
Giant gourami	Osphronemus goramy		4"			Occasionally, some other gouramis are also referred to as "giant gouramis"
Paradise fish	Macropodus opercularis		3"			One of the few freshwater aquarium fish that survive in cold water. Most common variety is the Blue Paradise.
Pearl gourami	Trichogaster leerii		4.5"
Pygmy gourami, Sparkling gourami	Trichopsis pumila		1.5"			Often confused with the croaking gourami
Kissing gourami	Helostoma temminckii		6"			The pink variety is more popular than the natural green one. They are called Kissing Gouramis because the seem to pucker their lips outwards.
Moonlight gourami	Trichogaster microlepis		6"
Snakeskin gourami	Trichogaster pectoralis		8"
Three spot gourami	Trichogaster trichopterus		4"			Various color varieties each given a different name (blue gourami, gold gourami, and opaline gourami)
Siamese fighting fish	Betta splendens					Numerous color and fin pattern varieties. In the U.S., the fish is often called "betta", although this word is actually the name of the genus that includes more than 60 species other than the Siamese fighting fish. Multiple males in a tank will result in conflicts and possibly death. Females can be housed together in a tank, though they may attack each other. Males have long flowing fins with vibrant colors, and females have shorter fins. This fish is best put with fish that do not nip fins, as the fins of the betta are easy to attack.

==Live-bearers==

Common name	Taxonomy	Picture	Size	Tank Type	Care Level	Remarks
Guppies and mollies
Guppy	Poecilia reticulata			Community	Easy	Many color and tail pattern varieties exist
Endler's livebearer	Poecilia wingei			Community
Black molly	Poecilia sphenops			Community	Easy
Sailfin molly	Poecilia latipinna			Community	Easy	Gold and silver varieties commonly found; also thrive in brackish water
Platies and swordtails
Southern platy	Xiphophorus maculatus			Community	Easy	Many color varieties exist
Variable platy	Xiphophorus variatus			Community		Many color varieties exist
Green swordtail	Xiphophorus hellerii			Community	Easy	Many color varieties exist

==Loaches and related cypriniforms==

Common name	Taxonomy	Picture	Size	Tank Type	Care Level	Remarks
Loaches
Burmese border loach	Botia kubotai
Clown loach	Botia macracantha
Dwarf loach	Yasuhikotakia sidthimunki					formerly named Botia sidthimunki
Dojo loach, weather loach	Misgurnus anguillicaudatus
Horseface loach	Acantopsis choirorhynchus
Kuhli loach, coolie loach	Pangio kuhlii					a number of similar Pangio species are sold under the same name
Longnose loach	Acantopsis octoactinotos
Skunk loach	Yasuhikotakia morleti					formerly named Botia morleti
Yoyo loach	Botia almorhae
Zebra loach	Botia striata
Other related cypriniforms
Chinese high fin banded shark	Myxocyprinus asiaticus		36"+	Goldfish/Large Pond	Difficult	the highfin shark is a truly unique fish. At youth, the shark has a high dorsal fin, a plump body, and radiant colors. However, as the fish matures, the characteristics of the fish changes drastically. The dorsal fin becomes shorter, the fish achieves a more cylindrical shape, and the color fades to a dark brown. The fish is not suitable for fish tanks because of the size it can grow to. The highfin cannot be housed with tropical fish due to their lower temperature preferences. The highfin prefers to be in a school, so more than one should be housed together. The "shark" is a peaceful fish, and will not openly attack others. Highfins are bottom dwellers and omnivorous. They will eat invertebrates and scrape algae off rocks.
Chinese hillstream loach	Beaufortia kweichowensis

==Neotropical electric fish==

Common name	Taxonomy	Picture	Size	Tank Type	Care Level	Remarks
Black ghost knifefish	Apteronotus albifrons					Not to be confused with the featherback "knifefish" of the Bonytongue group (see above)
Brown ghost knifefish	Apteronotus leptorhynchus
Electric eel	Electrophorus electricus					Despite the name, this is not an "eel" but rather a huge knifefish; illegal to possess in some areas

==Pufferfish==

Common name	Taxonomy	Picture	Size	Tank Type	Care Level	Remarks
Figure 8 pufferfish	''Tetraodon biocellatus''		2.4"		Intermediate
Green spotted puffer	''Tetraodon nigroviridis''		6"		Difficult	often sold as freshwater fish, but this species actually thrives in brackish water and may even requires saltwater when reaches adulthood
Giant freshwater pufferfish	''Tetraodon mbu''		30"		Difficult	This fish also occurs in estuaries.
Dwarf pufferfish	''Carinotetraodon travancoricus''		1.18"		Difficult

==Rainbowfish==

Common name	Taxonomy	Picture	Size	Tank Type	Care Level	Remarks
Salmon-red rainbowfish	''Glossolepis incisus''		5-6"			aka Red rainbowfish
Tami River rainbowfish	''Glossolepis pseudoincisus''		3"			aka Millennium rainbowfish
Lake Wanam rainbowfish	''Glossolepis wanamensis''		5-6"			aka Emerald rainbowfish
Threadfin rainbowfish	''Iriatherina werneri''				Difficult	Threadfins have very tiny mouths and cannot compete well with other fish for food. Keep in species only tanks or with small ''pseudomugil'' (ie: ''gertrudae'')
New Guinea rainbowfish	''Melanotaenia affinis''		5"
Boeseman's rainbowfish	''Melanotaenia boesemani''		4-5"
Duboulayi's rainbowfish	''Melanotaenia duboulayi''		5-6"			aka Crimson-Spotted rainbowfish
Lake Kurumoi rainbowfish	''Melanotaenia parva''		3-3.25"			aka Flame rainbowfish
Neon rainbowfish	''Melanotaenia praecox''		2.5-3"

==Spiny eels==

Common name	Taxonomy	Picture	Size	Tank Type	Care Level	Remarks
Fire eel	''Mastacembelus erythrotaenia''
Spotfinned spiny eel	''Macrognathus siamensis''
Tire track eel	''Mastacembelus armatus''
Lesser spiny eel	''Macrognathus aculeatus''

Contents

Gallery

See also

Gallery

See also

★ List of fish common names

★ List of freshwater aquarium plant species

★ List of freshwater aquarium amphibian species

★ List of brackish aquarium fish species

★ List of marine aquarium fish species