Africa
The Great Rift Lakes drive the African hobby — Malawi and Tanganyika host some of the most diverse cichlid radiations on Earth. West Africa and Madagascar add further biodiversity.
392 species · fish
Trout Cichlid
FishChampsochromis caeruleus
The trout cichlid: a solitary Lake Malawi predator built around an enormous mouth.
Two Banded Cichlid
FishTelmatochromis bifrenatus
A compact Tanganyikan rock-dweller with fascinating pair-bonding behavior.
Upside-down Catfish
FishSynodontis nigrita
The Synodontis that outgrows its welcome. And gets mistaken for something else entirely.
Upside-down Catfish
FishSynodontis nigriventris
The catfish that flipped the script, spending most of its life swimming upside down.
Upsidedown Catfish
FishSynodontis batensoda
A large African catfish that genuinely swims upside down as its default mode.
Utaka
FishCopadichromis borleyi
A peaceful Malawi cichlid that rewards patient keepers with vivid color morphs and fascinating breeding behavior.
Utaka
FishCopadichromis chrysonotus
A mid-water spawning Malawi cichlid that breeds in open water like no other Hap.
Utaka
FishCopadichromis ilesi
A peaceful Utaka cichlid from Lake Malawi with fascinating mouthbrooding behavior.
Utaka
FishCopadichromis mloto
A Lake Malawi schooling cichlid that breaks the solitary-male stereotype.
Utaka
FishMchenga flavimanus
A peaceful Malawi cichlid from the sandy shallows, built for life in open water.
Volcano Killifish
FishAphyosemion volcanum
A rare Cameroonian killifish from volcanic rainforest streams, seldom seen in the hobby.
Vundu
FishHeterobranchus longifilis
One of Africa's largest freshwater fish, built for serious dedicated keepers only.
Wahrindi
FishSynodontis gambiensis
A wide-ranging West African catfish that earns its space with character.
Walker's Killi
FishFundulopanchax walkeri
A feisty West African killi with a big appetite and cool-water preferences.
Walteri
FishAulonocara sp. "Walteri"
A lesser-known Malawi peacock with an island-restricted range and manageable temperament.
Walteri
FishNeolamprologus marunguensis
A deep-water Tanganyikan shell-dweller with a deeply forked tail and fascinating family dynamics.
Weakfish
FishPetrocephalus bovei bovei
A nocturnal African weakfish that retreats into caves by day and hunts by night.
West African Bichir
FishPolypterus retropinnis
A living fossil with lungs, armor, and a prehistoric attitude.
West African Lungfish
FishProtopterus annectens annectens
An ancient, air-breathing fish that can survive years without water
White-spotted Cichlid
FishTropheus duboisi
Juvenile leopard pattern fades into something completely different as adults.
Wormjawed Mormyrid
FishCampylomormyrus tamandua
A rare African electric fish with a bizarre beak-like snout and a brain to match.
Yellowbelly Albert
FishHaplochromis aeneocolor
A papyrus-shore cichlid from Uganda's Lake George, small but full of character.
Yellow Regal Peacock
FishAulonocara sp. "Stuartgranti Maleri"
A peacock cichlid blazing with yellow and orange from a handful of Malawi islands.
Yellow Sand Cichlid
FishXenotilapia flavipinnis
A sand-dwelling Tanganyikan cichlid with remarkable biparental mouthbrooding teamwork.
Yellow-tailed African Characin
FishAlestopetersius caudalis
A Congo schooling fish where rival males put on their best show
Zebra Cichlid
FishPseudotropheus zebra
A classic mbuna that brings Lake Malawi's rocky shores into your tank.
Zebra Malawi Cichlid
FishMaylandia zebra
A feisty Lake Malawi mbuna with fascinating mouthbrooding behavior worth planning around.
Zebra Obliquidens
FishHaplochromis latifasciatus
A critically endangered Lake Kyoga cichlid that breeds readily in home aquariums.
Zebra Tilapia
FishTilapia buttikoferi
Bold, beautifully barred, and notoriously combative. Not for the faint-hearted.
Zimbabwe Rock
FishOtopharynx lithobates
A cave-dwelling Malawi cichlid that turns neon blue when ready to breed.
Zona
FishBedotia geayi
A rare Malagasy rainbowfish that forms size-sorted shoals in cool highland streams.
Zona
FishBedotia madagascarensis
A rarely-seen Malagasy rainbowfish with a long hobby history and a complicated identity.