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 strains
GoldfishThe first domesticated aquarium fish
Neon tetraA small, bright fish of the Amazon
Siamese fighting fishThe betta, bred in Thailand
DiscusA prized Amazon cichlid
Freshwater angelfishThe freshwater angelfish
Ocellaris clownfishThe clownfish of home reef tanks
Denison barbAn aquarium fish from KeralaFurther reading
🇹🇭 Thailand and 4 moreSiamese fighting fish
A small, colorful freshwater fish native to Southeast Asia, famous as a pet and for male aggression.Livebearer · Rivers and lakes · 1910
🇻🇪 VenezuelaEndler's livebearer
A small, colourful freshwater fish from Venezuela known for its bright patterns and ease of breeding in home aquariums.Livebearer · Rivers and lakes · 2005
WorldAphyosemion
A large genus of small African killifish kept in home aquariums.Livebearer · Rivers and lakes
🇲🇽 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
WorldKillifish
Small egg-laying fish known for hardiness and short lifespansLivebearer · Rivers and lakes
🇺🇸 United StatesLeast killifish
A tiny North American fish that gives birth to live young and measures just two centimetres long.Livebearer · Rivers and lakes
🇧🇷 Brazil and 1 moreLargescale four-eyes
Surface-dwelling fish with split eyes for dual vision.Livebearer · Rivers and lakes · 1758
🇲🇽 MexicoButterfly splitfin
A critically endangered livebearing fish from Mexico.Livebearer · Rivers and lakes · 1971
WorldTetra
Common name for small freshwater characiform fishes popular in aquaria.Livebearer · Rivers and lakes
🇵🇬 Papua New GuineaForktail blue-eye
A small freshwater fish from Papua New Guinea rainforests.Livebearer · Rivers and lakes
🇲🇿 MozambiqueBluefin notho
A small annual killifish from Mozambique kept in aquaria.Livebearer · Rivers and lakes · 1926
🇬🇦 GabonLyretail panchax
Small colourful freshwater killifish from GabonLivebearer · Rivers and lakes
🇬🇳 Guinea and 2 moreClown killi
Small West African freshwater fish with ringed patternsLivebearer · Rivers and lakes · 1915
🇳🇬 Nigeria and 1 moreBlue lyretail
A colourful West African killifish kept in home aquariums.Livebearer · Rivers and lakes · 1911
🇲🇽 Mexico and 2 moreMexican molly
Small livebearing fish from Mexico and Central America.Livebearer · Rivers and lakes
🇺🇸 United States and 1 moreSailfin molly
Small livebearing fish with a large dorsal fin in males.Livebearer · Rivers and lakes · 1821
🇲🇽 Mexico and 1 moreSouthern platyfish
Small live-bearing freshwater fish from Central AmericaLivebearer · Rivers and lakes
🇲🇽 MexicoVariable platyfish
Small livebearing fish from Mexico popular in home aquariumsLivebearer · Rivers and lakes
🇲🇽 Mexico and 1 moreGreen swordtail
A hardy live-bearing fish popular in home aquariums.Livebearer · Rivers and lakes · 1848
🇹🇿 TanzaniaRedtail notho
A small annual killifish from ZanzibarLivebearer · Rivers and lakes
🇻🇪 Venezuela and 4 moreGuppy
Small tropical livebearer known for bright male colours and rapid reproduction.Livebearer · Rivers and lakes · 1859
🇺🇸 United StatesFlagfish
Small Florida pupfish with a US flag patternLivebearer · Rivers and lakes · 1879
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Neon tetra: Corpse89, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Siamese fighting fish: Henryk Niestrój, CC BY 4.0, source
- Endler's livebearer: Marrabbio2, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Aphyosemion: Violaine2, CC BY 3.0, source
- Xiphophorus: Marrabbio2, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Killifish: TinoStrauss, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Least killifish: Brian Gratwicke, CC BY 2.0, source
- Largescale four-eyes: Michael Gäbler, CC BY 3.0, source
- Butterfly splitfin: Przemysław Malkowski, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Tetra: Holger Krisp, CC BY 3.0, source
- Cichlid: mendel, CC BY-SA 1.0, source
- Forktail blue-eye: Dirk Godlinski, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Lyretail panchax: Alexander Prokoshev, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Clown killi: Oscar le poisson, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Blue lyretail: Violaine2, France, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Mexican molly: Taken by Darkmax, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Sailfin molly: (c) Nick Tobler (Cowturtle), some rights reserved (CC BY), CC BY 4.0, source
- Southern platyfish: Photograph by Jere Kyyrö. Uploaded by Rasvis ., CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Green swordtail: Bastet78, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Discus: Patrick Farrelly, Public domain, source
- Redtail notho: Jokuyken15, CC BY 4.0, source
- Goldfish: No machine-readable author provided. Heptagon assumed (based on copyri, Public domain, source
- Denison barb: Mattia Nocciola, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Guppy: Wibowo Djatmiko ( Wie146 ), CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Ocellaris clownfish: Raimond Spekking, CC BY-SA 4.0, source