Species

Pao palembangensis

A freshwater puffer from Southeast Asia with serious teeth and serious attitude.

Betta ibanorum

A blackwater mouthbrooder from Borneo that rewards patient, dedicated keepers.

Chaca chaca

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

Megalops cyprinoides

A prehistoric, air-breathing giant that bridges freshwater rivers and open ocean.

Aphanius mento

A feisty Middle Eastern killifish best kept as a conservation project.

Liosomadoras oncinus

A boldly patterned nocturnal catfish that fiercely guards its chosen hideout.

Parachromis managuensis

A bold, personable predator that owns every tank it inhabits.

Belontia hasselti

A large, territorial labyrinth fish that rewards patient, experienced keepers.

Aguarunichthys torosus

A powerfully built Peruvian catfish that treats smaller tankmates as a meal.

Hemichromis bimaculatus

Gorgeous West African cichlid that becomes a ferocious defender once paired up.

Pseudotropheus lombardoi

A notoriously aggressive mbuna with a dramatic reverse color scheme between sexes.

Brachyplatystoma filamentosum

One of the largest freshwater fish on Earth, and reportedly a danger to humans.

Baryancistrus demantoides

A territorial Venezuelan pleco with vivid spots and a noticeably tall dorsal fin.

Polypterus bichir lapradei

A prehistoric African giant that breathes air and hunts like a predator from another era.

Brycinus macrolepidotus

A football-sized African predator that roams rivers from the Nile to the Congo.

Brachyplatystoma vaillantii

A river giant that needs a seriously big tank and equally big tankmates.

Hemichromis lifalili

A jewel cichlid that transforms into something else entirely when spawning season hits.

Zebrasoma rostratum

A sleek, all-black Pacific tang with a distinctively elongated snout.

Sperata aor

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

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

Amphilophus lyonsi

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

Odontodactylus havanensis

A Brazilian Atlantic crustacean that brings serious predator energy to the right tank.

Paratilapia polleni

Madagascar's endangered black cichlid, bold in personality and beautiful in the biotope

Protopterus aethiopicus aethiopicus

An ancient African lungfish that breathes air and can outlast a drought.

Calloplesiops altivelis

A cave-dwelling mimic that fools predators by impersonating a moray eel.

Julidochromis transcriptus

A bold little rock-dweller from Lake Tanganyika with sharp black-and-white contrast.

Arothron diadematus

A bold Red Sea puffer with a dramatic masked face and serious bite.

Datnioides undecimradiatus

A boldly barred Mekong predator with a long memory and a short temper.

Pseudanthias pleurotaenia

A rare, large anthias that demands respect, and space, in the reef tank.

Variabilichromis moorii

A Lake Tanganyika rockdweller with a fascinating family life and devious brood tactics.

Gambusia affinis

The notorious mosquitofish: tough, prolific, and not a friendly neighbor.

Polypterus weeksii

A living fossil from the Congo with a swim bladder that doubles as a lung.

Amarginops ornatus

A sleek Congo predator with ornate markings and serious attitude toward tankmates.

Ogilbyina novaehollandiae

A vivid reef dweller from the Great Barrier Reef with a bold dual-tone look.

Arothron manilensis

A bold, beak-toothed puffer that thrives from mangroves to lagoon reefs.

Hemibagrus punctatus

A rare, spot-flanked Indian catfish built for serious catfish specialists only.