The Americas
From the Amazon's blackwater basins to Caribbean reefs — the Americas hold the most popular freshwater biotopes and a wealth of Atlantic and Pacific saltwater life.
765 species · freshwater
Sub-regions
Humpback Limia
FishLimia nigrofasciata
A livebearing oddity from Haiti with a distinctive fatty hump on mature males.
Imitator Cory
FishCorydoras imitator
A long-lived Rio Negro cory that schools with its color-alike cousins in the wild
Inca
FishApistogramma baenschi
A beginner-friendly dwarf cichlid with big personality and bold crescent markings.
Isabelita Pleco
FishHypancistrus debilittera
A compact, cave-dwelling pleco with a big attitude toward its own kind.
Isorineloricaria villarsi
FishSqualiforma villarsi
A rare Venezuelan pleco with surprising peaceful manners and air-breathing tricks.
Isthmian Priapella
FishPriapella intermedia
A sleek Mexican livebearer that leaps clear of the water to catch insects.
Jack Dempsey
FishRocio octofasciata
A bold, brawling cichlid named after a boxing legend for good reason.
Jaguar Catfish
FishLiosomadoras oncinus
A boldly patterned nocturnal catfish that fiercely guards its chosen hideout.
Jaguar Cichlid
FishParachromis managuensis
A bold, personable predator that owns every tank it inhabits.
Jaguar Guapote
FishParachromis motaguensis
A bold Central American predator that holds its own against anything in the tank.
Jamaican Killifish
FishCubanichthys pengelleyi
A rare Jamaican killifish with clear-water roots and a reputation for challenging its keeper.
January Tetra
FishHemigrammus hyanuary
A peaceful little tetra that looks like a stretched head-and-tail light fish.
Jello Band Catfish
FishAguarunichthys torosus
A powerfully built Peruvian catfish that treats smaller tankmates as a meal.
Julii Cory
FishCorydoras julii
A spotted little catfish that blinks, breathes air, and belongs in every peaceful community.
Julii Cory
FishCorydoras trilineatus
Commonly sold as julii cory, this peaceful armored catfish is a beginner-friendly gem.
Jumbie Teta
FishAncistrus cf cirrhosus
The bristlenose catfish: a compact, algae-grazing workhorse with a face only a hobbyist could love.
Jumbo Cory
FishCorydoras multiradiatus
A large, long-snouted cory with a fascinating air-breathing trick up its sleeve.
Jutai
FishApistogramma sp. "Kelleri"
A mouthbrooding dwarf cichlid with a remarkably flexible approach to raising its young.
Kane's cory
FishCorydoras kanei
A small, spotted cory from blackwater rivers that breathes air and charms beginners.
Katvis
FishPimelodus ornatus
A bold, predatory catfish with toxic spines and serious schooling instincts.
Keyhole Cichlid
FishCleithracara maronii
A gentle, shy cichlid whose camouflage trick is straight out of a nature documentary.
Killifish
FishAustrolebias adloffi
A tiny annual killifish that races through its entire life cycle in months.
Kissing Prochilodus
FishSemaprochilodus insignis
A migratory Amazon grazer that plays a surprising ecological role in the wild.
Knife Livebearer
FishAlfaro cultratus
A tough little livebearer with a blade-like keel and a feisty personality.
Knobnose Whiptail Catfish
FishHemiodontichthys acipenserinus
The only catfish where dad carries the eggs on his lips.
Krauss' Basketmouth
FishCaquetaia kraussii
A predatory Colombian cichlid that lurks in swamps and ambushes its prey.
Krieg's Mini Tetra
FishOdontostilbe kriegi
A small, peaceful South American schooler that thrives in the mid-water column.
Kumakuma
FishBrachyplatystoma filamentosum
One of the largest freshwater fish on Earth, and reportedly a danger to humans.
Kyburz Tetra
FishPseudochalceus kyburzi
A peaceful Colombian schooler with a nippy streak worth planning around.
L12
FishAncistomus feldbergae
A rock-dwelling Xingu pleco that grazes algae by night and hides by day.
L128
FishHemiancistrus sp
A spot-patterned Orinoco pleco with a taxonomic identity that's still up for debate.
L200
FishBaryancistrus demantoides
A territorial Venezuelan pleco with vivid spots and a noticeably tall dorsal fin.
L234
FishMegalancistrus sp. "L234"
A massive, aggressive pleco from eastern Brazil that demands respect and space.
L239
FishBaryancistrus beggini
A tiny, dark-bodied pleco with an iridescent blue sheen from Guyana Shield rapids.
L260
FishHypancistrus sp. "L260"
A fine-patterned Tapajós pleco that breeds readily and stays compact.
Lacrimostigmata Cory
FishCorydoras lacrimostigmata
A tiny armored catfish that may mimic its wild neighbors to blend in.