The Americas

Monocirrhus polyacanthus

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

Heterandria formosa

One of the world's smallest fish, with a uniquely continuous birthing process.

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.

Poecilia salvatoris

A scrappy Central American molly with bold looks and a bold attitude.

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.

Forcipiger flavissimus

A needle-nosed reef hunter that picks prey from crevices other fish can't reach.

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.

Oxycirrhites typus

A perching ambush predator that claims gorgonians as its personal throne.

Corydoras loretoensis

A long-finned little bottom-dweller that thrives in lively, social groups.

Corydoras ortegai

A tiny armored catfish from Peru that breathes air and blinks at you.

Hyphessobrycon loretoensis

A tiny Peruvian tetra with a vivid red tail that shines in a well-planted school.

A whiptail catfish with one of the most striking breeding behaviors in the hobby.

Crenicichla tigrina

A boldly patterned Amazonian pike cichlid that rarely shows up in the trade.

Amphilophus lyonsi

A lesser-known Central American cichlid from Pacific-slope rivers worth seeking out.

Apistogramma pantalone

A tiny Peruvian dwarf cichlid with courtship rituals unlike any other Apistogramma.

Acanthicus hystrix

A giant, armor-plated catfish that outgrows almost every home aquarium.

Apistogramma macmasteri

A compact Colombian cichlid with big personality and fascinating cave-breeding behavior.

Scleromystax macropterus

A cool-water armored catfish with a bold personality and a venomous surprise

Baryancistrus chrysolomus

A boldly finned Xingu catfish that earns its territorial reputation with age.

Corydoras amandajanea

A rare armored catfish from the Negro River that occasionally breathes air

Ageneiosus inermis

A giant, predatory catfish with one of the most unusual reproductive strategies in freshwater.

Lactoria diaphana

A boxy, horned oddity that roams reefs and mudflats across the entire Indo-Pacific.

Carnegiella strigata

A deep-keeled surface dweller that brings life to the upper third of any tank.

Corydoras pinheiroi

A rare Amazonian cory that can breathe air and live for decades.