The Americas

Hyphessobrycon anisitsi

A rock-solid beginner tetra with a feisty streak that rewards keeping in big groups.

Sphoeroides annulatus

A large, noise-making Pacific puffer that's surprisingly approachable for beginners.

Batrochoglanis raninus

A compact, cave-hoarding ambush predator with serious attitude for its size.

Pseudopimelodus bufonius

A boldly patterned South American catfish that's surprisingly easy to keep.

Scarus perrico

A reef-scraping giant from the Eastern Pacific that rewrites your idea of 'beginner fish'.

Corydoras burgessi

A long-lived armored catfish with a bold black saddle and surprising air-breathing ability.

Hypsophrys nicaraguensis

A Central American cichlid that bonds for life and redecorates constantly.

Ameca splendens

A rare Mexican livebearer with a placenta-like structure and feisty personality.

Hypoplectrus unicolor

A Caribbean reef predator surprisingly well-suited to beginner saltwater tanks.

Scleromystax c113

A feisty armoured catfish from Brazil whose males refuse to share their space.

Colossoma macropomum

The second-largest scaled fish in the Amazon, and it grows to match.

Pseudacanthicus sp

A spiny, armored catfish from Venezuelan rivers with serious attitude.

Hyphessobrycon axelrodi

A tiny Trinidad native surprisingly comfortable in brackish conditions.

Liopropoma carmabi

A tiny, jewel-patterned reef fish that rewards patient hobbyists willing to coax it out.

Awaous flavus

A sand-sifting South American goby with bold red fin markings and real personality.

Peckoltia vittata

A boldly banded dwarf pleco that works the rocks and driftwood at night.

Paracheirodon axelrodi

The full-red neon that outshines its famous cousin from blackwater rivers.

Enchelycore carychroa

A compact reef moray with rich brown patterning and a surprisingly manageable size.

Canthigaster rostrata

A pint-sized Atlantic puffer with a big personality and a beak to match.

Serrasalmus manueli

A rare, large piranha relative that demands a specialist keeper and a massive tank.

Corydoras carlae

A rarely seen Iguazu cory with twin flank blotches and peaceful, social charm.

Parotocinclus jumbo

A tiny armored catfish with big personality and a clever breathing trick.

Serrasalmus gibbus

A lone-wolf piranha from Brazil that tolerates no tankmates whatsoever.

Xiphophorus milleri

A rare Mexican platyfish from one lake, suited for species-focused setups.

Teleocichla centrarchus

A dwarf riverine cichlid built for life in Brazil's fast-flowing rapids.

Moenkhausia ceros

A peaceful Amazon tetra that rarely makes it onto store lists.

Echidna catenata

A crab-hunting moray that will crawl onto land to chase down its prey.

Serranus tortugarum

A reef-safe, peaceful little bass that rarely hides its personality.

Cyprinodon veronicae

A rare spring pupfish from a remote Mexican highland that challenges even dedicated keepers.

Oliotius oligolepis

A peaceful, easy-to-keep schooler with bold checker-patterned scales.

Crenicara punctulatum

A tiny cichlid that literally changes sex as it matures.

Dicrossus filamentosus

A tiny, ornate cichlid with a lyre-shaped tail and a big personality.

Centropyge argi

The Atlantic's tiniest angel, bold in color and personality despite its small size.

Dicrossus maculatus

A tiny, peaceful cichlid with surprisingly complex parental behavior and a love of acidic water.

Cichlasoma bocourti

A hefty Central American cichlid that means business in any territory it claims.

Theraps bocourti

A rare Guatemalan cichlid with impressive parental care and a feisty personality.