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[]

Legend
K	Kind: Fish More...

Common name	Taxonomy	Picture	Size	Tank Type	Care Level	Remarks
Gray bichir	Polypterus senegalus		14"	Species	Easy	Predatory
Reedfish	Erpetoichthys calabaricus		15.7"	Species	Easy/Intermediate	Nocturnal

Bonytongues[]

Common name	Taxonomy	Size	Care Level	Remarks
Arowanas
Arapaima	Arapaima gigas	118"
Asian arowana	Scleropages formosus	35"
Black arowana	Osteoglossum ferreirai	47"
Silver arowana	Osteoglossum bicirrhosum	47"
Australian Arowana	Scleropages jardini	35"
Featherback knifefish
African knifefish	Xenomystus nigri	12"
Clown knifefish	Chitala ornata	39"
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	9"+
Butterflyfish
Freshwater butterflyfish	Pantodon buchholzi			not related to saltwater butterflyfish

Catfish[]

Common name	Taxonomy	Size	Tank Type	Remarks
Armored catfish including Aspidoras, Brochis, Callichthys, and Corydoras
	Aspidoras fuscoguttatus
	Aspidoras lakoi
	Aspidoras rochai
Sixray corydoras, false corydoras	Aspidoras pauciradiatus	1.1"
Britski's catfish	Corydoras britskii	3.5"
Emerald catfish	Corydoras splendens	2"-4"		Green spots on the gills are normal and do not indicate disease.
Hognosed brochis	Corydoras multiradiatus	2.6"
Cascarudo	Callichthys callichthys	8"
Adolfo's catfish	Corydoras adolfoi
Banded corydoras	Scleromystax barbatus	4"
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	2½-2¾"		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	2"
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 seemanni
Australian shark catfish	Arius berneyi
Berney's shark catfish	Arius graeffei
Sheatfish
Glass catfish	Kryptopterus bicirrhis	4-5", 6" in the wild.		Needs to be kept in a group of 5 or more.
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[]

Common name	Taxonomy	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. 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
Three-lined pencilfish	Nannostomus trifasciatus	2" ( 5 cm.)	Community	Intermediate	Males defend small territories. Otherwise a peaceful, beautiful species.
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. It will chew and eat plants.
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	Size	Tank Type	Care Level	Remarks
Lake Malawi cichlids
Sunshine peacock cichlid	Aulonocara baenschi	6"
	Copadichromis borleyi
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"	Mbuna	Easy
Rusty cichlid, lavender cichild	Iodotropheus sprengerae	4"	Mbuna
Fuelleborn's cichlid/Blue mbuna	Labeotropheus fuelleborni	7"	Mbuna
Electric yellow cichlid	Labidochromis caeruleus	8"	Mbuna	Easy	Very active and entertaining fish, need many rock caves to allow establishment of territories, less aggressive than other mbuna
Malawi eyebiter	Dimidiochromis compressiceps			Easy
Hongi, Red-top kimpumpa	Labidochromis sp. "Hongi"	5"	Mbuna
Labidochromis sp. "Mbamba Bay"	Labidochromis sp. "Mbamba Bay"	5"	Mbuna
Auratus cichlid, Malawi golden cichlid	Melanochromis auratus	3.9"		Easy
Chipokee cichlid	Melanochromis chipokae	4.7"	Mbuna	Easy
Blue johanni cichlid, Maingano	Melanochromis cyaneorhabdos	4"	Mbuna	Easy	Very active and entertaining fish, need many rock caves to allow establishment of territories
Melanochromis joanjohnsonae	Melanochromis joanjohnsonae	3.9"	Mbuna
Johanni cichlid	Melanochromis johannii	4.7"	Mbuna
Aurora	Melanochromis aurora	4"	Mbuna
Red zebra cichlid	Metriaclima estherae	4.7"	Mbuna	Easy	Very active and entertaining fish, need many rock caves to allow establishment of territories
Cobalt blue cichlid, cobalt zebra cichlid	Maylandia callainos	4.7"	Mbuna	Easy	Very active and entertaining fish, need many rock caves to allow establishment of territories
Kenyi cichlid	Maylandia lombardoi	5"	Mbuna
Fusco	Nimbochromis fuscotaeniatus	10"
Livingston's cichlid	Nimbochromis livingstonii	9.8"
Kaligono	Nimbochromis polystigma	12"
Venustus cichlid, giraffe cichild	Nimbochromis venustus	10"		Easy
Red empress cichlid	Protomelas taeniolatus	5.9"
Bumblebee cichlid, hornet cichlid	Pseudotropheus crabro	5.9"	Mbuna
Pseudotropheus acei	Pseudotropheus acei	4"	Mbuna
Saulosi	Pseudotropheus saulosi	3"	Mbuna
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"
	Cyathopharynx			Not readily available in the aquarium trade.
	Variabilichromis
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			Striking coloration
Julie cichlid	Julidochromis ornatus
Julie cichlid	Julidochromis regani	6"f/4"m
Julie cichlid	Julidochromis transcriptus	4"			Striking coloration
Herring/Sardine cichlid	Cyprichromis
	Ectodus descampsii
Chalinochromis
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"			Males very aggressive
Tropheus moorii	Tropheus moorii	5½"		Easy
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
	Steatocranus
Lifalili jewel cichlid, blood-red jewel cichlid	Hemichromis lifalili
Kribensis, krib	Pelvicachromis pulcher			Easy	Readily breed in aquaria
Zebra tilapia	Tilapia buttikoferi
Guenther's Mouthbrooder	Chromidotilapia guentheri
Allauad's haplo	Astatoreochromis alluaudi
Pale usisya aulonocara	Aulonocara steveni
Benthochromis tricoti
Dwarf cichlids (apistogrammas, rams and others)
Agassiz's dwarf cichlid	Apistogramma agassizii
	Nannacara adoketa
Yellow dwarf cichlid	Apistogramma borellii
Cockatoo dwarf cichlid	Apistogramma cacatuoides
Panda dwarf cichlid	Apistogramma nijsseni
Three-Stripe Dwarf Cichlid	Apistogramma trifasciata
	Apistogramma eremnopyge
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
poor man's tropheus	Hypsophrys nematopus
Red devil cichlid	Amphilophus labiatus
Firemouth cichlid	Cichlasoma meeki			Easy	Typically medium aggression
Jack Dempsey cichlid	Cichlasoma octofasciatum
Jaguar cichlid, managuense cichlid	Cichlasoma managuense			Easy	Exceptionally beautiful adult coloration
Mayan cichlid	Cichlasoma urophthalmus
Convict cichlid	Archocentrus nigrofasciatus			Easy
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
Greenstreaked Eartheater,cupid cichlid	Biotodoma cupido
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			Easy
Other cichlids
Orange chromide	Etroplus maculatus
Blood parrot cichlid
Flowerhorn
	Parachromis dovii

Cyprinids[]

Common name	Taxonomy	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	1.9"	Community	Easy	very peaceful, and works well with white clouds and neon tetras
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	4,5-5,5"	Community	Easy
Pearl danio	Danio albolineatus	2,6"		Easy	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	2"			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	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. A beautiful, peaceful gourami.
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. they require aquarium salt in the water or hard water
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	3"			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 groups of 4+ in a tank, though they may become territorial and 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. They should also not be housed with other fish with long, flowing fins as the Betta may confuse it with another, and attack.

Live-bearers[]

Common name	Taxonomy	Size	Tank Type	Care Level	Remarks
Guppies and mollies
Guppy	Poecilia reticulata	2"	Community	Easy	Many color and tail pattern varieties exist
Endler's livebearer	Poecilia wingei	1.5"	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	Size	Tank Type	Care Level	Remarks
Loaches
blue botia	Yasuhikotakia modesta
Burmese border loach	Botia kubotai
Clown loach	Botia macracantha				Clown loach has a sociable personality and should be kept in at least groups of 2. They may eat pond snails kept in aquariums.
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	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	Size	Care Level	Remarks
Figure 8 pufferfish	Tetraodon biocellatus	2.4"	Intermediate	often sold as freshwater fish, but this species prefers brackish water
Green spotted puffer	Tetraodon nigroviridis	6"	Difficult	often sold as freshwater fish, but this species actually thrives in brackish water and may even require saltwater when reaches adulthood
Giant freshwater pufferfish	Tetraodon mbu	30"	Difficult	This fish also occurs in estuaries.
Dwarf pufferfish	Carinotetraodon travancoricus	1.18"	Intermediate
Congo pufferfish	Tetraodon miurus	6"	Difficult

Rainbowfish[]

Common name	Taxonomy	Size	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
Australian rainbowfish	Melanotaenia fluviatilis	5-6"
Lake Kurumoi rainbowfish	Melanotaenia parva	3-3.25"		aka Flame rainbowfish
Neon rainbowfish	Melanotaenia praecox	2.5-3"
Eastern rainbowfish	Melanotaenia splendida splendida	5-6"

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""

Gar[]

Common name	Taxonomy	Picture	Size	Tank Type	Care Level	Remarks
Spotted Gar	Lepisosteus oculatus

List of freshwater aquarium fish species

Contents

Bichirs and reedfish[]

Bonytongues[]

Catfish[]

Characins and other characiformes[]

Cichlids[]

Cyprinids[]

Labyrinth fish[]

Live-bearers[]

Loaches and related cypriniforms[]

Neotropical electric fish[]

Pufferfish[]

Rainbowfish[]

Spiny eels[]

Gar[]

See also[]

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