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
🇮🇳 India and 4 moreZebrafish
Small striped fish from South Asia kept in aquariums and labsCarp · Rivers and lakes
🇹🇭 Thailand and 2 moreSiamese mud carp
Freshwater cyprinid native to Mekong and Chao Phraya riversCarp · Rivers and lakes
WorldRasbora
A diverse genus of small freshwater fish native to South and Southeast Asia.Carp · Rivers and lakes · 1822
🇨🇳 ChinaTelescope goldfish
Fancy goldfish breed with large protruding eyesCarp · Rivers and lakes
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Zebrafish: Roundish, CC0, source
- Siamese mud carp: BigYoi, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Rasbora: Captain R C Beavan, Public domain, source
- Telescope goldfish: Lawrencekhoo, CC BY-SA 4.0, source