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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
🇬🇳 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 🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the CongoCongo tetra A colourful African freshwater fish kept in home aquaria for its bright scales and feathery tail.Other · Rivers and lakes · 1899 🇧🇷 Brazil and 2 moreBlack tetra Small freshwater characin with dark vertical barsOther · Rivers and lakes 🇧🇷 BrazilRummy-nose tetra Small Amazonian characin with a red head and striped tail.Other · Rivers and lakes · 1924 🇧🇷 BrazilEmber tetra Tiny orange freshwater fish from BrazilOther · Rivers and lakes · 1987 Bleeding heart tetra WorldBleeding heart tetra Small Amazonian fish with a red flank spotOther · Rivers and lakes · 1943 Latin America and the CaribbeanPenguinfish Small striped characin from South American riversOther · Rivers and lakes 🇧🇷 BrazilLemon tetra Small yellow freshwater fish from the Amazon basin.Other · Rivers and lakes 🇧🇷 Brazil and 1 moreX-ray tetra Small translucent South American freshwater fish popular in home aquariums.Other · Rivers and lakes · 1894 🇨🇴 ColombiaEmperor tetra A small freshwater fish from Colombia, prized in the aquarium trade for its striking colours and distinct sexual dimorphOther · Rivers and lakes 🇧🇷 Brazil and 4 moreMarbled hatchetfish A small South American freshwater fish kept in aquariums for its unique shape and surface-dwelling habits.Other · Rivers and lakes · 1864 🇻🇪 VenezuelaDiamond tetra Small Venezuelan freshwater fish with violet finsOther · Rivers and lakes · 1920 🇧🇴 Bolivia and 3 moreCommon hatchetfish Small freshwater fish from South AmericaOther · Rivers and lakes WorldSplash tetra Small South American fish that lays eggs on leaves above waterOther · Rivers and lakes 🇨🇳 China and 4 moreThree spot gourami Hardy freshwater fish native to Southeast Asia with distinct side spots.Other · Rivers and lakes 🇰🇭 Cambodia and 3 moreMoonlight gourami A small, silvery labyrinth fish native to Southeast Asian rivers and swamps.Other · Rivers and lakes Southeast AsiaPygmy gourami A tiny freshwater fish from Southeast Asia known for its iridescent colours and ability to make sounds.Other · Rivers and lakes Chocolate gourami 🇲🇾 MalaysiaChocolate gourami Small maternal mouthbrooding fish from Southeast Asian peat swampsOther · Rivers and lakes 🇨🇳 China and 1 moreParadise fish Aggressive freshwater gourami from East AsiaOther · Rivers and lakes WorldPeters's elephantnose fish A West African freshwater fish that navigates using weak electric pulses.Other · Rivers and lakes WorldDamselfish Small marine fish known for aggressive territorial behaviour and reef farming.Reef fish · Coasts and shelves WorldMoray eel A global family of elongated marine eels known for their powerful jaws and patterned skin.Eel · Coasts and shelves WorldCardinalfishes Small, colourful reef fish known for male mouthbrooding.Reef fish · Coasts and shelves 🇲🇽 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 🇧🇷 Brazil and 2 moreCardinal tetra Small freshwater fish with a bright red belly and iridescent blue stripe.Other · Rivers and lakes · 1956 🇲🇽 Mexico and 1 moreGreen swordtail A hardy live-bearing fish popular in home aquariums.Livebearer · Rivers and lakes · 1848 🇧🇷 BrazilBlack neon tetra Small freshwater characin with white and black stripes, popular in the aquarium trade.Other · Rivers and lakes Sub-Saharan AfricaHump-head cichlid A blue cichlid with a forehead hump from Lake MalawiCichlid · Rivers and lakes WorldWhite spotted cichlid A small rock-dwelling cichlid from Lake Tanganyika.Cichlid · Rivers and lakes Sub-Saharan AfricaRed Zebra Cichlid A colourful rock-dwelling cichlid from Lake Malawi.Cichlid · Rivers and lakes WorldOcellated shell dweller Small cichlid from Lake Tanganyika living in snail shellsCichlid · Rivers and lakes Sub-Saharan AfricaBlunthead cichlid A colourful algae-eating cichlid from Lake Tanganyika.Cichlid · Rivers and lakes 🇨🇷 Costa Rica and 1 moreMidas cichlid Large aggressive cichlid from Central AmericaCichlid · Rivers and lakes 🇳🇮 NicaraguaRed devil cichlid Large aggressive cichlid from Central American lakesCichlid · Rivers and lakes 🇲🇽 Mexico and 3 moreSalvin's cichlid A colourful Central American river fish with a yellow body and red belly.Cichlid · Rivers and lakes 🇺🇸 United States and 1 moreTexas cichlid The only cichlid native to the United StatesCichlid · Rivers and lakes 🇹🇿 TanzaniaPundamilia nyererei A small cichlid from Lake Victoria named after Tanzania's first president.Cichlid · Rivers and lakes WorldUaru A large South American cichlid from clear Amazon streams.Cichlid · Rivers and lakes · 1840 Sub-Saharan AfricaBumblebee cichlid A Lake Malawi cichlid that cleans catfish and steals their eggs.Cichlid · Rivers and lakes Sub-Saharan AfricaKenyi cichlid A bright yellow and blue cichlid from Lake Malawi.Cichlid · Rivers and lakes Sub-Saharan AfricaGiraffe hap A sand-ambushing cichlid from Lake Malawi.Cichlid · Rivers and lakes Sub-Saharan AfricaJewel cichlid Brightly colored African cichlids kept in aquariums for their vivid breeding colours and parental care.Cichlid · Rivers and lakes Sub-Saharan AfricaZebra mbuna Small rock-dwelling cichlid from Lake MalawiCichlid · Rivers and lakes 🇻🇪 VenezuelaKeyhole cichlid Small peaceful cichlid from South AmericaCichlid · Rivers and lakes
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Photo credits on this page

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

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