The Americas

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.

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.

Hypselecara coryphaenoides

A peaceful giant from blackwater rivers that transforms dramatically when spawning.

Hypselecara temporalis

A gentle giant cichlid that plays well with others. Mostly.

Hyphessobrycon vilmae

A tiny Amazonian tetra sold as the chocolate neon, rarely seen but worth seeking out.

Acanthodoras cataphractus

A armored, sound-making catfish that genuinely prefers company of its own kind.

Pristobrycon calmoni

A lesser-known piranha relative with serious teeth and surprising longevity.

Panaqolus maccus

A compact, cave-loving pleco with bold patterns and a feisty streak toward its own kind.

Hypostomus cochliodon

A hefty South American pleco with a surprisingly specialized wood-scraping bite.

Apistogramma cacatuoides

A pocket-sized cichlid with big personality and remarkable parental dedication.

Pseudauchenipterus nodosus

A schooling brackish catfish that thrives where rivers meet the sea.

Hyphessobrycon takasei

A quietly charming little tetra with a distinctive coffee-dark body spot.

Hyphessobrycon columbianus

A bold Colombian tetra with vivid red fins and a peaceful, social nature.

Hypostomus plecostomus

The classic algae-scrubbing catfish that outgrows almost every tank it's sold for.

Rineloricaria eigenmanni

A slender, stick-like catfish that breeds readily and welcomes community life.

Amatitlania nigrofasciata

Fearless, easy to breed, and absolutely not a community fish.

Pyrrhulina spilota

A slender Peruvian gem with surprisingly complex spawning behavior for its size.

Platynematichthys notatus

A bold Amazonian catfish that grows large enough to demand serious space.

Corydoras aurofrenatus

A compact armored catfish from Paraguay with distinctive flank markings and an unusual breathing trick.

Apistogramma commbrae

A cool-water dwarf cichlid with a tell-tale double spot and surprising monogamy.

A tiny, sociable armored catfish that occasionally breathes air.

A rare Peruvian armored catfish that breathes air and lives for decades.

A tiny, long-lived catfish with a fascinating natural mimicry story.

A tiny rock-dwelling catfish from the Argentine Andes, rarely if ever seen in aquariums.

A tiny armored catfish with a surprisingly versatile respiratory trick up its sleeve.

Lamontichthys llanero

A rare South American whiptail that rewards patient keepers with unusual character.

Girardinus creolus

A rare Cuban livebearer that occupies the middle of the water column.

Trochilocharax ornatus

A scaleless micro-tetra with internal fertilization and serious personality for its size.

Hyphessobrycon haraldschultzi

A rare Araguaia gem that rewards patient schooling setups with vivid red coloring.

Nandopsis tetracanthus

Cuba's only native cichlid: territorial, long-lived, and surprisingly personable.

Atractosteus tristoechus

A living fossil from Cuba that outgrows almost any home aquarium.