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
🇵🇰 Pakistan and 2 moreDwarf gourami Small South Asian freshwater fish with vibrant colours.Other · Rivers and lakes 🇮🇳 India and 1 moreMalabar danio A small, striped freshwater fish from India and Sri Lanka.Other · Rivers and lakes · 1849 🇮🇳 IndiaDwarf pufferfish A tiny freshwater pufferfish from India prized for its bright colours and small size in home aquaria.Other · Rivers and lakes · 1941 Banded gourami 🇧🇩 Bangladesh and 4 moreBanded gourami Small tropical air-breathing fish with striped patternsPerch-like · Rivers and lakes · 1801 🇮🇳 IndiaSun catfish A yellow catfish with a black shoulder spot from India.Catfish · Rivers and lakes WorldJarbua terapon A striped Indo-Pacific fish found in seas and rivers.Other · Rivers and lakes · 1775 Borna snakehead 🇮🇳 IndiaBorna snakehead A rare small snakehead from the Chel River.Other · Rivers and lakes 🇮🇷 Iran and 4 moreDwarf snakehead Small freshwater fish native to southern AsiaOther · Rivers and lakes 🇮🇳 India and 1 moreGoonch catfish A massive river catfish native to South Asia.Catfish · Rivers and lakes 🇮🇳 India and 4 moreZig-zag eel A large freshwater spiny eel native to South and Southeast Asia, known for its zigzag pattern and predatory habits.Eel · Rivers and lakes · 1777 🇮🇳 IndiaGangetic leaffish A small Asian fish found in slow rivers and ponds across South Asia.Other · Rivers and lakes 🇮🇳 India and 2 moreFreshwater garfish A slender, toothed needlefish from Asian fresh waters.Other · Rivers and lakes WorldTank goby Large subtropical goby found in fresh and salt waterOther · 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 🇻🇪 Venezuela and 4 moreGuppy Small tropical livebearer known for bright male colours and rapid reproduction.Livebearer · Rivers and lakes · 1859 🇮🇳 India and 1 moreOrange chromide Small spotted cichlid from India and Sri LankaCichlid · Rivers and lakes 🇮🇩 Indonesia and 4 moreWalking catfish A Southeast Asian air-breathing catfish known for moving across land and surviving out of water.Catfish · Rivers and lakes 🇦🇺 Australia and 4 moreLongcomb sawfish A critically endangered sawfish with a toothed rostrum.Ray · Coasts and shelves 🇹🇭 Thailand and 4 moreClown featherback Large tropical freshwater fish with a knife-shaped body and spotted pattern.Other · Rivers and lakes Long Whiskers Catfish 🇮🇳 India and 4 moreLong Whiskers Catfish A brackish water catfish with long barbels found in South and Southeast Asia.Catfish · Estuaries and mangroves 🇵🇰 Pakistan and 4 moreStriped dwarf catfish Small Asian catfish found in brackish waters and swamps.Catfish · Estuaries and mangroves 🇱🇦 Laos and 3 moreBronze featherback A freshwater fish from South and Southeast Asia used for food.Other · Rivers and lakes 🇮🇳 India and 4 moreBlue perch Small Asian freshwater fish with blue finsPerch-like · 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 🇹🇭 Thailand and 3 moreSnakeskin gourami A large Southeast Asian freshwater fish known for its striped pattern and air-breathing ability.Other · Rivers and lakes 🇮🇩 Indonesia and 4 moreGiant gourami A large freshwater fish from Southeast Asia valued for food and kept in aquaria.Other · Rivers and lakes South AsiaIndian glassy fish Small transparent freshwater fish popular in home aquariumsPerch-like · Rivers and lakes 🇮🇳 India and 1 moreYoyo loach Freshwater fish with yoyo-shaped markingsOther · Rivers and lakes 🇮🇳 IndiaCanara pearlspot Endangered freshwater cichlid from South Karnataka.Cichlid · Rivers and lakes 🇺🇸 United States and 1 moreStriped bass Anadromous marine fish native to the Atlantic coast of North America, known for sport fishing and culinary use.Other · Rivers and lakes 🇺🇸 United States and 1 moreAlligator gar A large, primitive freshwater fish native to North America known for its armored scales and air-breathing ability.Other · Rivers and lakes · 1803 Latin America and the CaribbeanPayara Predatory Amazonian fish with long lower fangsOther · Rivers and lakes WorldPufferfish Toxic fish that inflate into spiny spheres for defence.Other · Rivers and lakes 🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the CongoGoliath tigerfish A massive freshwater predator from the Congo River Basin known for its size and sharp teeth.Other · Rivers and lakes · 1898 WorldCatfish A diverse order of ray-finned fish known for whisker-like barbels and lack of scales.Catfish · Rivers and lakes WorldCarp A broad term for freshwater fish in the Cyprinidae family, valued as food and sport.Carp · 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 WorldTilapia Common name for nearly a hundred species of cichlid fish native to Africa and the Middle East.Cichlid · Rivers and lakes · 1840 🇹🇭 Thailand and 4 moreIridescent shark Large Southeast Asian catfish farmed for food and kept in aquariums.Catfish · Rivers and lakes
Previous

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.