Amazon & South America

Pimelodus ornatus

A bold, predatory catfish with toxic spines and serious schooling instincts.

Cleithracara maronii

A gentle, shy cichlid whose camouflage trick is straight out of a nature documentary.

Austrolebias adloffi

A tiny annual killifish that races through its entire life cycle in months.

Semaprochilodus insignis

A migratory Amazon grazer that plays a surprising ecological role in the wild.

Hemiodontichthys acipenserinus

The only catfish where dad carries the eggs on his lips.

Caquetaia kraussii

A predatory Colombian cichlid that lurks in swamps and ambushes its prey.

Odontostilbe kriegi

A small, peaceful South American schooler that thrives in the mid-water column.

Brachyplatystoma filamentosum

One of the largest freshwater fish on Earth, and reportedly a danger to humans.

Pseudochalceus kyburzi

A peaceful Colombian schooler with a nippy streak worth planning around.

Ancistomus feldbergae

A rock-dwelling Xingu pleco that grazes algae by night and hides by day.

Hemiancistrus sp

A spot-patterned Orinoco pleco with a taxonomic identity that's still up for debate.

Baryancistrus demantoides

A territorial Venezuelan pleco with vivid spots and a noticeably tall dorsal fin.

Megalancistrus sp. "L234"

A massive, aggressive pleco from eastern Brazil that demands respect and space.

Baryancistrus beggini

A tiny, dark-bodied pleco with an iridescent blue sheen from Guyana Shield rapids.

Hypancistrus sp. "L260"

A fine-patterned Tapajós pleco that breeds readily and stays compact.

Corydoras lacrimostigmata

A tiny armored catfish that may mimic its wild neighbors to blend in.

Corydoras lamberti

A rare and enigmatic armored catfish from the Peruvian Amazon, best kept in groups.

Potamotrygon falkneri

A venomous freshwater predator that can learn to recognize its keeper.

Nannacara taenia

A quietly charming dwarf cichlid hiding some fascinating breeding behavior beneath plain looks.

Brachyplatystoma vaillantii

A river giant that needs a seriously big tank and equally big tankmates.

Monocirrhus polyacanthus

A dead-leaf impersonator that ambushes prey with a lightning-fast vacuum strike.

Hyphessobrycon pulchripinnis

A subtly beautiful schooling tetra that rewards keepers who buy a proper-sized group.

Corydoras leopardus

A spotted, air-gulping bottom dweller with a surprisingly long life ahead of it.

Peckoltia compta

A compact Brazilian pleco with a bold pattern and a useful breathing trick.

Pseudacanthicus cf leopardus

A spiny, cave-dwelling pleco from the blackwaters of the Rio Negro.

Pseudacanthicus spinosus

A thorny, wild-looking Amazon pleco with serious attitude to match.

Astyanax leopoldi

A rarely seen South American tetra that rewards patient shoppers with active schooling behavior.

Corydoras leucomelas

A long-lived, peaceful cory that breathes air and blinks its eyes.

Achirus lineatus

A master of disguise that buries itself until almost invisible.

Apistogramma linkei

A secretive dwarf cichlid from Bolivia's river systems, full of personality in a small package.

Leporinus arcus

A bold-striped South American speedster with a personality to match its size.

Pygopristis denticulata

The most docile piranha you can keep, but those teeth are still very real.

Brochis multiradiatus

A long-snouted armoured catfish that breathes air and rewards group keeping.

Corydoras narcissus

A long-snouted cory from the Amazon, rarely seen and worth the search.

Corydoras semiaquilis

A peaceful bottom-dweller from Peru that thrives in sociable groups.

Corydoras ourastigma

A long-snouted Purus River cory that can live for two decades in the right setup.