Aquarium fish
Kept in home and public aquariums. 58 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
🇺🇸 United States and 1 moreAtlantic sturgeon
A large anadromous fish native to the western Atlantic Ocean and its river systems.Ancient · Rivers and lakes
WorldGiant oceanic manta ray
The world's largest ray, a massive filter-feeding predator of tropical oceans.Ray · Coasts and shelves · 1827
WorldAnglerfish
Ray-finned fish using a modified dorsal fin ray as a lure to catch prey.Other · Coasts and shelves · 1829
🇧🇷 Brazil and 1 moreLargescale four-eyes
Surface-dwelling fish with split eyes for dual vision.Livebearer · Rivers and lakes · 1758
South AsiaGreen spotted puffer
Small brackish water pufferfish with a tiny genomeOther · Rivers and lakes
OceaniaBanded archerfish
A silvery fish that spits water jets to catch prey.Perch-like · Estuaries and mangroves · 1767
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Atlantic sturgeon: Jiaqian AirplaneFan, CC BY 3.0, source
- Giant oceanic manta ray: jon hanson, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Anglerfish: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Largescale four-eyes: Michael Gäbler, CC BY 3.0, source
- Green spotted puffer: Starseed, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, source
- Banded archerfish: Chrumps, CC BY-SA 3.0, source