South Asia

Chiloscyllium punctatum

A true shark that crawls the seafloor and can survive hours out of water.

Notopterus notopterus

A nocturnal predator that outgrows most home aquariums faster than expected.

Colisa lalia

A peaceful little labyrinth fish that puts on a show when romance is in the air.

Trichogaster chuna

A spitting, bubble-building gourami that rewards keepers who give it company.

Horadandia atukorali

A tiny Sri Lankan schooler best kept with equally small, gentle tankmates.

Horabagrus nigricollaris

A peaceful yellow catfish with a bold dark collar and a mouth to respect.

Akysis prashadi

A pint-sized Myanmar catfish that vanishes into the sand, barbels first.

Chaca chaca

A living lure: the ambush catfish that fishes for its own dinner.

Parambassis ranga

A living x-ray fish whose transparent body reveals its skeleton and organs.

Laubuka laubuca

A schooling surface-dweller with a genuinely tangled identity across Asia.

Barilius bendelisis

A fast-moving hill stream fish that needs bold tankmates and plenty of room.

Puntius sahyadriensis

A rare Indian hill-stream barb that truly shines when kept in a proper school.

Oryzias dancena

A tiny, peaceful ricefish that carries its eggs like a living clutch before planting them.

Pethia setnai

A peaceful, school-loving barb from Goa's clear streams, perfect for community tanks.

Channa micropeltes

A genuinely massive predator that outgrows most home aquariums before you know it.

Devario apogon

A tiny Irrawaddy danionin that hobbyists have barely had a chance to meet yet.

Dario kajal

Tiny scarlet predator from India's hill streams, big on attitude.

Oryzias latipes

The first vertebrate to mate in space, now a rewarding nano fish for patient keepers.

Barilius canarensis

A bold, fast-moving schooler from Indian hill streams that needs equally spirited tankmates.

Hypselobarbus jerdoni

A rare, river-schooling giant from the Western Ghats, seldom seen in the hobby.

Lepidocephalichthys jonklaasi

A rare Sri Lankan loach hidden beneath leaf litter, seldom seen in the hobby.

Labeo calbasu

A large, algae-grazing river fish best appreciated outside the home aquarium.

Channa pardalis

A leopard-patterned snakehead from India's misty Khasi Hills.

Puntius vittatus

A peaceful little barb from rice fields and streams, best kept in lively groups.

Botia rostrata

A boldly barred loach with a complex social life and real personality.

Petruichthys brevis

A tiny loach from Myanmar's famous Inle Lake, best kept in groups.

Homaloptera bilineata

A tiny torrent-dweller that crawls and hops across rocks like no other fish.

Lepidocephalichthys irrorata

A rarely traded Indian loach with hidden spines and subtle charm.

Sperata aor

A river giant with a shoveled snout that will outgrow almost any tank.

Mystus gulio

A schooling brackish catfish that grows surprisingly large and breathes air.

Puntius mahecola

A rarely traded Kerala barb best appreciated in a lively, same-species school.

Barilius bakeri

A fast, bold stream fish that needs equally confident tankmates to thrive.

Barilius gatensis

A bold, fast-moving hill stream fish that needs equally assertive tankmates.

Laubuka fasciata

A peaceful Indian hill stream schooler that rewards keepers who buy in groups.

Haludaria fasciata

An underrated Indian barb that rewards you with vivid male rivalry displays.

Danionella translucida

One of the tiniest freshwater fish alive, and surprisingly easy to breed.