Aquarium fish
Kept in home and public aquariums. 47 fish on EveryFish so far.
Fishkeeping is one of the most popular pet hobbies in the world. Home aquariums hold freshwater fish such as guppies, tetras, barbs, gouramis, cichlids and catfish, and marine tanks keep clownfish, tangs and other reef fish. Public aquariums display sharks, rays and schools of ocean fish. Hundreds of millions of ornamental fish are traded each year, from more than a thousand species.
Where aquarium fish come from
Most freshwater aquarium fish sold today are bred on farms, many in South-East Asia, Florida and in India around Kolkata and Kolathur in Chennai. Goldfish, koi, guppies, mollies, bettas, angelfish and discus have been bred for colour and fin shape for generations. Most marine aquarium fish, by contrast, are still caught from reefs in Indonesia, the Philippines and elsewhere, though clownfish and some others are now bred in captivity.
India's wild ornamentals
India's rivers, especially in the Western Ghats and the North-East, hold many fish valued by aquarists. The Denison barb of Kerala became one of India's best-known aquarium exports, and heavy collection from the wild contributed to its decline before farm breeding took over much of the supply. Releasing aquarium fish into the wild has spread invasive species, such as the Amazon sailfin catfish now found in many Indian waters.
Still to be written: Guppy, Goldfish, Neon tetra, Siamese fighting fish, Discus (fish), Pterophyllum scalare, Ocellaris clownfish, Denison barb.
Further reading
🇺🇸 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
🇸🇳 SenegalNile bichir
An ancient African fish with lungs and armour-like scales.Ancient · 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
🇸🇳 Senegal and 3 moreSenegal bichir
Ancient African fish that breathes air and walks on landAncient · Rivers and lakes
WorldArowana
Freshwater bony fish with a toothed bone in the mouth and air-breathing ability.Ancient · Rivers and lakes · 1831
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- 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
- Nile bichir: Boulenger, George Albert; Loat, L., Public domain, source
- Arapaima: This illustration was made by Citron You must credit this : Citron / C, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Arowana: User:Qwertzy2, CC BY-SA 3.0, source