Species

Amphilophus lyonsi

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

Genicanthus caudovittatus

A rare peaceful angelfish with dramatic lyre-shaped tail fins and true sexual dimorphism.

Pseudanthias squamipinnis

Schooling reef anthias that shifts from female orange to vivid male purple.

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.

Melanotaenia maccullochi

A compact, peaceful rainbowfish that rewards group keeping with vivid male displays.

Apistogramma macmasteri

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

Leptobarbus hoevenii

A river giant with a wild reputation for eating intoxicating seeds

Acrochordonichthys septentrionalis

A skin-shedding hill stream catfish that keeps its tankmates on their toes.

Pictichromis porphyrea

A bold little reef fish that punches well above its weight in personality.

Baryancistrus chrysolomus

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

Betta mahachaiensis

A nipa palm specialist from coastal Thailand with iridescent blue-green armor.

Puntius mahecola

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

Corydoras amandajanea

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

Cleidopus gloriamaris

A living lantern: the fish that carries its own lights on its jaw.

Melanochromis cyaneorhabdos

An all-blue Malawi mbuna with serious attitude and a mouthbrooding twist.

Barilius gatensis

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

Dimidiochromis compressiceps

The Lake Malawi ambush hunter famous for a truly unsettling feeding habit.

Aristochromis christyi

Lake Malawi's sneaky ambush predator that rolls sideways to fool its prey.

Synodontis njassae

Lake Malawi's only squeaker, built for cichlid tanks and rocky hideouts.

Abactochromis labrosus

A rock-dwelling Malawi cichlid with an unusually approachable temperament for the genus.

Pristolepis fasciata

A bold, deep-bodied predator from Southeast Asian floodplains with real personality.

Pangio semicincta

The fish sold as kuhli loach is almost certainly this one instead.

Ompok eugeneiatus

A shy, schooling catfish from Southeast Asian peat swamps and flooded forests.

Synchiropus splendidus

One of the most vividly colored fish on the reef, and one of the trickiest to keep.

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.

Paratilapia polleni

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

Oxyeleotris marmorata

A motionless giant that eats anything fitting in its enormous mouth.

Pomatoschistus marmoratus

A cryptic little sand-dweller from Europe's coasts, full of quiet personality.

Carnegiella strigata

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

Protopterus aethiopicus aethiopicus

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

Fundulopanchax marmoratus

A rare Cameroonian killifish with detailed marbled patterning and a preference for cool water.

Calloplesiops altivelis

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

Corydoras pinheiroi

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

Amphiprion tricinctus

Three bold white bars on deep orange. The Marshall Islands' own anemonefish.