All fish
190 fish so far, best known first. 1,001 more are on the list to be written.
GroupSharkRayCarpCatfishSalmonidHerringCodTunaPerch-likeCichlidReef fishEelFlatfishLivebearerAncientOther
WaterRivers and lakesEstuaries and mangrovesCoasts and shelvesCoral reefsOpen oceanDeep seaPolar and cold seasCaves and springsBetween sea and river
Southeast AsiaBumblebee goby
Small striped freshwater and brackish gobies from AsiaOther · Rivers and lakes
WorldSilver dollar
Round, silver tropical fish related to piranhas, popular in aquariums.Other · Rivers and lakes
🇨🇳 China and 4 moreCelestial Eye goldfish
Fancy goldfish with upward-facing telescope eyesOther · Rivers and lakes
🇺🇸 United States and 1 moreAtlantic sturgeon
A large anadromous fish native to the western Atlantic Ocean and its river systems.Ancient · Rivers and lakes
🇺🇸 United StatesShovelnose sturgeon
Smallest North American freshwater sturgeon, known for its shovel-shaped snout and caviar production.Ancient · Rivers and lakes · 1820
🇧🇯 Benin and 4 moreSaddled bichir
A large African freshwater fish with primitive lungs and multiple dorsal finlets.Ancient · Rivers and lakes · 1845
WorldBichir
Ancient African ray-finned fish with multiple dorsal finlets and lung-like air breathing organs.Ancient · Rivers and lakes
🇧🇼 Botswana and 1 moreAfrican tigerfish
Predatory freshwater fish known for sharp teeth and leaping hunting behaviour.Other · Rivers and lakes · 1861
WorldLeopard bush fish
A freshwater labyrinth fish from the Congo River basin kept in home aquariums.Other · Rivers and lakes
🇸🇳 SenegalNile bichir
An ancient African fish with lungs and armour-like scales.Ancient · Rivers and lakes
Sub-Saharan AfricaSynodontis
A large African genus of spotted catfish known for squeaking sounds and belly-up swimming.Catfish · Rivers and lakes
WorldHaplochromis
A large ray-finned fish genus from East Africa known for rapid evolution and aquarium popularity.Cichlid · Rivers and lakes · 1888
🇲🇼 Malawi and 2 moreMalawi eyebiter
Predatory cichlid from Lake Malawi known for its narrow body and unique feeding habits.Cichlid · Rivers and lakes
🇺🇸 United States and 2 moreGreen sunfish
A small, aggressive freshwater fish native to North America, known for its blue-green colour and invasive potential in nPerch-like · Rivers and lakes
🇧🇷 Brazil and 3 moreTambaqui
A large freshwater fish from South America known for its heavy body and seed-eating habits.Other · Rivers and lakes
🇧🇷 Brazil and 4 moreWolf fish
A predatory freshwater ray-finned fish found across Central and South America.Other · Rivers and lakes
🇺🇸 United States and 1 moreMexican tetra
A freshwater characin with surface and blind cave forms, studied for evolutionary biology.Other · Rivers and lakes
WorldGiant oceanic manta ray
The world's largest ray, a massive filter-feeding predator of tropical oceans.Ray · Coasts and shelves · 1827
🇹🇭 Thailand and 3 moreSiamese tigerfish
A critically endangered freshwater perch from Indochina.Perch-like · Rivers and lakes · 1998
🇧🇷 BrazilBanded leporinus
A striped freshwater fish from the Amazon kept in home tanks and occasionally caught by anglers.Other · Rivers and lakes
🇧🇷 Brazil and 1 moreArapaima
Large freshwater fish from the Amazon basin known for its size and air-breathing ability.Ancient · Rivers and lakes
🇮🇳 India and 4 moreZebrafish
Small striped fish from South Asia kept in aquariums and labsCarp · Rivers and lakes
WorldFeatherbacks and knifefishes
Freshwater bony-tongued fishes with long anal finsOther · Rivers and lakes
Southeast AsiaGiant snakehead
A large freshwater predator from Southeast Asia known for air breathing and invasive potential.Other · Rivers and lakes
🇹🇭 Thailand and 2 moreSiamese mud carp
Freshwater cyprinid native to Mekong and Chao Phraya riversCarp · Rivers and lakes
WorldAphyosemion
A large genus of small African killifish kept in home aquariums.Livebearer · Rivers and lakes
🇺🇸 United States and 2 moreBluegill
A common North American sunfish known for its blue gill covers and popularity with anglers.Perch-like · Rivers and lakes · 1854
🇧🇷 Brazil and 4 moreArapaima
Giant air-breathing freshwater fish of the AmazonOther · Rivers and lakes · 1822
WorldAnglerfish
Ray-finned fish using a modified dorsal fin ray as a lure to catch prey.Other · Coasts and shelves · 1829
WorldDanio
A genus of small striped freshwater fish from Asia kept in aquaria.Other · Rivers and lakes · 1822
WorldRasbora
A diverse genus of small freshwater fish native to South and Southeast Asia.Carp · Rivers and lakes · 1822
🇲🇽 Mexico and 3 moreXiphophorus
A genus of small livebearing fish native to Mexico and Central America, known for aquarium use and genetic research.Livebearer · Rivers and lakes
🇦🇺 Australia and 2 moreRainbowfish
Small colourful freshwater fish from Australia and New GuineaOther · Rivers and lakes · 1894
WorldKillifish
Small egg-laying fish known for hardiness and short lifespansLivebearer · Rivers and lakes
WorldArowana
Freshwater bony fish with a toothed bone in the mouth and air-breathing ability.Ancient · Rivers and lakes · 1831
🇺🇸 United StatesLeast killifish
A tiny North American fish that gives birth to live young and measures just two centimetres long.Livebearer · Rivers and lakes
🇯🇵 JapanJapanese rice fish
Small freshwater fish native to Japan and a key model organism.Other · Rivers and lakes
🇧🇷 Brazil and 1 moreLargescale four-eyes
Surface-dwelling fish with split eyes for dual vision.Livebearer · Rivers and lakes · 1758
🇧🇷 Brazil and 4 moreRed-bellied piranha
A widespread South American freshwater fish known for its omnivorous diet and shoaling behavior.Other · Rivers and lakes
🇧🇷 Brazil and 1 moreRed-bellied Pacu
A large South American freshwater fish related to piranhas, farmed for food and kept in aquariums.Other · Rivers and lakes
🇲🇽 MexicoButterfly splitfin
A critically endangered livebearing fish from Mexico.Livebearer · Rivers and lakes · 1971
WorldHeadstander
South American freshwater fish known for swimming with their heads pointed downwards.Other · Rivers and lakes
🇨🇳 ChinaButterfly loach
A small, flat freshwater loach from fast Chinese streams.Other · Rivers and lakes
🇰🇭 Cambodia and 4 moreGyrinocheilus aymonieri
A Southeast Asian freshwater fish known for its suction-like mouth and role in the aquarium trade.Other · Rivers and lakes
🇨🇳 ChinaTelescope goldfish
Fancy goldfish breed with large protruding eyesCarp · Rivers and lakes
🇯🇵 JapanRanchu
A hooded goldfish breed from Japan with no dorsal fin and a rounded body.Other · Rivers and lakes
WorldTetra
Common name for small freshwater characiform fishes popular in aquaria.Livebearer · Rivers and lakes
🇧🇷 BrazilBlack arowana
A South American freshwater fish known for its dark colour and jumping hunting style.Other · Rivers and lakes
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Bumblebee goby: Citron, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Silver dollar: Photo by and (c)2004 Derek Ramsey ( Ram-Man ), CC BY-SA 2.5, source
- Celestial Eye goldfish: Michelle Jo, CC BY 3.0, source
- Atlantic sturgeon: Jiaqian AirplaneFan, CC BY 3.0, source
- Shovelnose sturgeon: Kbh3rd, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Saddled bichir: Studdart, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Bichir: 5snake5, CC0, source
- African tigerfish: Totti, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Nile bichir: Boulenger, George Albert; Loat, L., Public domain, source
- Leopard bush fish: Zaire, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Synodontis: Paweł Cieśla Staszek_Szybki_Jest, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Haplochromis: User:Haplochromis, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Malawi eyebiter: Gareth J. Fraser, C. Darrin Hulsey, Ryan F. Bloomquist, Kristine Uyesu, CC BY 2.5, source
- Green sunfish: Duane Raver, Public domain, source
- Tambaqui: w_endo, CC0, source
- Mexican tetra: User:Haplochromis, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Wolf fish: J. F. Hennig, Public domain, source
- Giant oceanic manta ray: jon hanson, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Banded leporinus: Ltshears, Public domain, source
- Siamese tigerfish: Unknown author, CC BY-SA 2.5, source
- Arapaima: This illustration was made by Citron You must credit this : Citron / C, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Zebrafish: Roundish, CC0, source
- Featherbacks and knifefishes: Henry Sullivan Thomas, Public domain, source
- Giant snakehead: George Chernilevsky, Public domain, source
- Siamese mud carp: BigYoi, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Aphyosemion: Violaine2, CC BY 3.0, source
- Bluegill: Fredlyfish4, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Arapaima: George Chernilevsky, Public domain, source
- Anglerfish: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Danio: Soulkeeper, Public domain, source
- Rasbora: Captain R C Beavan, Public domain, source
- Xiphophorus: Marrabbio2, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Rainbowfish: Eileen Kortright ( Roan Art ), CC BY 2.5, source
- Killifish: TinoStrauss, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Arowana: User:Qwertzy2, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Least killifish: Brian Gratwicke, CC BY 2.0, source
- Japanese rice fish: NOZO, CC BY 3.0, source
- Largescale four-eyes: Michael Gäbler, CC BY 3.0, source
- Red-bellied piranha: Gregory Moine, CC BY 2.0, source
- Red-bellied Pacu: Omnitarian, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Butterfly splitfin: Przemysław Malkowski, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Headstander: Brian Gratwicke, CC BY 2.0, source
- Butterfly loach: Lerdsuwa, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Gyrinocheilus aymonieri: Pseudogastromyzon, Public domain, source
- Telescope goldfish: Lawrencekhoo, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Ranchu: Lerdsuwa, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Tetra: Holger Krisp, CC BY 3.0, source
- Black arowana: Dương Vinh Hoàng, CC BY-SA 4.0, source