News
SpeciesScientists Discover Mysterious New Fish in the Red Sea – and Have Never Seen It AgainOceanEye to eye with Britain's hidden sharks at SharkAdemy - OceanographicRiversIn October, biologists surveying a New York harbor for invasive fish pulled up a bright yellow one. It wasn't an invasive species at allOceanShedd Aquarium Sends Shark Eggs to Bolster Wild PopulationsSpeciesA rare fish has been found in Lake Ontario, North America, whose entire body is golden. It is a nati..OceanThe Great Sea Reef Is Fiji’s Wildest Dive, and a New Frontier for ConservationOceanEckerd College professor contributes to designating Biscayne Bay an Important Shark and Ray AreaSpeciesRio Verde Grande Survey Identifies Fifty-Three Fish Species Facing Flow ReductionsFisheriesAdams River Salmon Run in Thompson-NicolaIndiaHilsa production dropped 26% in five years, fisheries minister tells parliamentSpeciesScientists Discover Mysterious New Fish in the Red Sea – and Have Never Seen It AgainOceanEye to eye with Britain's hidden sharks at SharkAdemy - OceanographicRiversIn October, biologists surveying a New York harbor for invasive fish pulled up a bright yellow one. It wasn't an invasive species at allOceanShedd Aquarium Sends Shark Eggs to Bolster Wild PopulationsSpeciesA rare fish has been found in Lake Ontario, North America, whose entire body is golden. It is a nati..OceanThe Great Sea Reef Is Fiji’s Wildest Dive, and a New Frontier for ConservationOceanEckerd College professor contributes to designating Biscayne Bay an Important Shark and Ray AreaSpeciesRio Verde Grande Survey Identifies Fifty-Three Fish Species Facing Flow ReductionsFisheriesAdams River Salmon Run in Thompson-NicolaIndiaHilsa production dropped 26% in five years, fisheries minister tells parliament
EveryFish

Aquarium fish

Kept in home and public aquariums. 403 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.

Famous aquarium fish fish

GuppyBred into hundreds of strainsGoldfishThe first domesticated aquarium fishNeon tetraA small, bright fish of the AmazonSiamese fighting fishThe betta, bred in ThailandDiscusA prized Amazon cichlidFreshwater angelfishThe freshwater angelfishOcellaris clownfishThe clownfish of home reef tanksDenison barbAn aquarium fish from Kerala

Further reading

GroupSharkRayCarpCatfishSalmonidHerringCodTunaPerch-likeCichlidReef fishEelFlatfishLivebearerAncientOther
WaterRivers and lakesEstuaries and mangrovesCoasts and shelvesCoral reefsOpen oceanDeep seaPolar and cold seasCaves and springsBetween sea and river
OrderBest knownA to ZOldest firstNewest firstBy size
🇸🇪 Sweden and 3 moreIde A freshwater cyprinid native to Europe and Asia, widely kept in ornamental ponds.Carp · Rivers and lakes · 1758 Golden barb 🇵🇰 Pakistan and 3 moreGolden barb Small Asian cyprinid found in rivers and aquariumsCarp · Rivers and lakes EuropeCommon rudd A red-finned freshwater fish native to Europe and Asia.Carp · Rivers and lakes 🇲🇾 Malaysia and 1 moreHarlequin rasbora A small, colourful freshwater fish popular in home aquariums for its distinctive black body marking.Carp · Rivers and lakes 🇲🇲 MyanmarOdessa barb Small colourful cyprinid from Myanmar popular in home aquariumsCarp · Rivers and lakes · 2008 🇮🇳 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 Chalakudy barb 🇮🇳 IndiaChalakudy barb Small colourful cyprinid from the Western Ghats rivers.Carp · 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 WorldBarb A common name for various ray-finned cyprinid fish, especially in the genera Barbus and Puntius.Carp · Rivers and lakes Southeast AsiaSiamese algae-eater A bottom-dwelling freshwater fish from Southeast Asia known for eating red algae in aquariums.Carp · Rivers and lakes Southeast AsiaRainbow shark A Southeast Asian freshwater cyprinid kept as a popular but aggressive aquarium fish.Carp · Rivers and lakes 🇹🇭 ThailandRed-tailed black shark A critically endangered Thai carp kept widely in aquariums for its black body and red tail.Carp · Rivers and lakes · 1931 Southeast AsiaClown barb A spotted freshwater fish from Borneo and Sumatra.Carp · Rivers and lakes 🇹🇭 Thailand and 1 moreBala shark A large, silver cyprinid often kept in aquariums despite its size.Carp · Rivers and lakes 🇨🇳 ChinaWhite Cloud Mountain minnow A small, hardy freshwater fish native to China, popular in aquariums for its cold tolerance and peaceful nature.Carp · Rivers and lakes · 1930 🇲🇲 Myanmar and 1 moreCelestial pearl danio A tiny, brightly coloured freshwater fish from Myanmar and Thailand, popular in the aquarium trade.Carp · Rivers and lakes · 2006 🇺🇸 United States and 2 moreFathead minnow Small North American freshwater fish used as bait and in toxicity studies.Carp · Rivers and lakes 🇹🇭 Thailand and 4 moreTinfoil barb A large Southeast Asian freshwater fish known for its red fins and silvery body.Carp · Rivers and lakes · 1853 🇹🇭 Thailand and 4 moreJava barb A silvery freshwater fish farmed across Southeast Asia.Carp · Rivers and lakes 🇮🇩 Indonesia and 1 moreTiger barb Active striped freshwater fish popular in home aquariums.Carp · Rivers and lakes 🇯🇵 JapanKoi Ornamental carp varieties bred in Japan for decorative ponds.Carp · Rivers and lakes 🇨🇳 ChinaGoldfish A domesticated freshwater carp from China, kept worldwide as a pet and aquarium fish.Carp · Rivers and lakes WorldTench Slippery freshwater fish with olive-green skin and red eyes.Carp · Rivers and lakes · 1758 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka and 2 moreCherry barb Small tropical freshwater fish from Sri Lanka, popular in aquariums for its bright red colour.Carp · Rivers and lakes · 1929 🇱🇰 Sri LankaVateria Flower Rasbora Small freshwater fish from Sri Lanka streamsCarp · Rivers and lakes 🇵🇰 Pakistan and 4 moreSwamp barb Small tropical freshwater fish from South AsiaCarp · Rivers and lakes WorldTorinae A subfamily of large freshwater carps known as mahseers, found across Asia and Africa.Carp · Rivers and lakes Pool barb 🇮🇳 India and 4 morePool barb Small tropical cyprinid from Asian inland watersCarp · Rivers and lakes · 1822 South AsiaRosy barb A colourful subtropical freshwater fish popular in home aquariums.Carp · Rivers and lakes 🇮🇳 India and 4 moreIndian flying barb A silver cyprinid with long barbels and jumping ability.Carp · Rivers and lakes · 1822 🇳🇵 Nepal and 4 moreTicto barb Small silver freshwater fish with two black spotsCarp · Rivers and lakes 🇮🇳 IndiaDenison barb Endangered Indian cyprinid prized in the aquarium tradeCarp · Rivers and lakes 🇦🇺 Australia and 2 moreCommon carp A widespread freshwater fish native to Europe and Asia, now farmed globally and often invasive.Carp · Rivers and lakes WorldCarp A broad term for freshwater fish in the Cyprinidae family, valued as food and sport.Carp · Rivers and lakes 🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 4 moreCrucian carp A European cyprinid known for surviving winter ice by converting lactate to ethanol.Carp · Rivers and lakes

Photo credits on this page

The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.

The weekly digest

Every Monday: the fish of the day, new pages on EveryFish, and the conferences and anniversaries of the week ahead.