Save the Little Fish

Saving the world’s tropical fish, one tank at a time.

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Freshwater fishes

The fish list

499 species, each with the water it needs, who it gets along with, and where it comes from. Find one, or browse by family, genus or river.

EndangeredRarePopular✓ PeacefulSmall (6 cm or less)Calm water✓ Strong flowSchooling✓ L-numbersWith photo ✓ Basic profiles too

The fishes 14 fish · new every day

Orinoco angel

L201
Orinoco angel ≈

Plecos · HypancistrusStaple

  • 26–30°C
  • pH 5.5–7.5
  • Strong!
  • 5 in
  • Bottom
  • Meat
  • Peaceful

Crisp white dots and white fin edges.

Middle Orinoco, Venezuela

Orinoco angel

L201

Hypancistrus contradens

Middle Orinoco, Venezuela · rapids

Temperature
26–30°C
pH
5.5–7.5
Adult size
5 in · 12 cm
Flow
Strong
Swims
Bottom
Temperament
Peaceful
Diet
Carnivore
Breeding
Easy
Typical price
$25–60
In Canada
Common
Rarity
Pet-store staple

Crisp white dots and white fin edges. A classic first Hypancistrus.

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Photo: thepigeongirl, CC BY NC

Zebra

L046
Zebra ≈

Plecos · HypancistrusCR

  • 28–31°C!
  • pH 5.5–7.5
  • Strong!
  • 3 in
  • Bottom
  • Meat
  • Peaceful

Brazil banned wild export, so Canadian stock is tank-bred.

Volta Grande of the Rio Xingu, Brazil

Zebra

L046

Hypancistrus zebra

Volta Grande of the Rio Xingu, Brazil · rapids

Temperature
28–31°C
pH
5.5–7.5
Adult size
3 in · 8 cm
Flow
Strong
Swims
Bottom
Temperament
Peaceful
Diet
Carnivore
Breeding
Moderate, slow
Typical price
$150–500
In Canada
Occasional
Status in the wild
Critically endangered

Brazil banned wild export, so Canadian stock is tank-bred. Clean, even stripes where L236 are broken and patchy.

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Photo: Birger A, CC BY-SA 3.0

Stardust

L262
Give us a picture and get credit! ≈

Plecos · HypancistrusUncommon

  • 26–30°C
  • pH 5.5–7.5
  • Strong!
  • 4 in
  • Bottom
  • Meat
  • Peaceful

Black with a fine dusting of white dots.

Unknown origin

Stardust

L262

Unknown origin · rapids

Temperature
26–30°C
pH
5.5–7.5
Adult size
4 in · 10 cm
Flow
Strong
Swims
Bottom
Temperament
Peaceful
Diet
Carnivore
Breeding
Moderate
Typical price
$40–90
In Canada
Occasional
Rarity
Uncommon

Black with a fine dusting of white dots. It can cross with L236.

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King tiger

L066
Give us a picture and get credit! ≈

Plecos · HypancistrusStaple

  • 26–30°C
  • pH 5.5–7.5
  • Strong!
  • 5 in
  • Bottom
  • Meat
  • Peaceful

Bold cream worm-lines on black.

Rio Xingu, Brazil

King tiger

L066

Rio Xingu, Brazil · rapids

Temperature
26–30°C
pH
5.5–7.5
Adult size
5 in · 12 cm
Flow
Strong
Swims
Bottom
Temperament
Peaceful
Diet
Carnivore
Breeding
Easy
Typical price
$40–80
In Canada
Common
Rarity
Pet-store staple

Bold cream worm-lines on black. Every fish is different, and it breeds readily.

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Mega clown

L340
Give us a picture and get credit! ≈

Plecos · HypancistrusUncommon

  • 27–30°C!
  • pH 5.5–7.5
  • Strong!
  • 5 in
  • Bottom
  • Meat
  • Peaceful

Thick, irregular white bands on black, like a coarse zebra.

Tapajós basin, Brazil

Mega clown

L340

Tapajós basin, Brazil · rapids

Temperature
27–30°C
pH
5.5–7.5
Adult size
5 in · 12 cm
Flow
Strong
Swims
Bottom
Temperament
Peaceful
Diet
Carnivore
Breeding
Moderate
Typical price
$40–120
In Canada
Occasional
Rarity
Uncommon

Thick, irregular white bands on black, like a coarse zebra.

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Snowball

L102
Give us a picture and get credit! ≈

Plecos · HypancistrusUncommon

  • 26–29°C
  • pH 5.5–7.5
  • Strong!
  • 6 in
  • Bottom
  • Meat
  • Peaceful

Bigger, sparser white spots than L201, and a bigger fish overall.

Upper Rio Negro and Casiquiare, Venezuela and Brazil

Snowball

L102

Hypancistrus inspector

Upper Rio Negro and Casiquiare, Venezuela and Brazil · rapids

Temperature
26–29°C
pH
5.5–7.5
Adult size
6 in · 15 cm
Flow
Strong
Swims
Bottom
Temperament
Peaceful
Diet
Carnivore
Breeding
Easy
Typical price
$40–80
In Canada
Occasional
Rarity
Uncommon

Bigger, sparser white spots than L201, and a bigger fish overall.

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King tiger (Xingu)

L333
Give us a picture and get credit! ≈

Plecos · HypancistrusStaple

  • 26–30°C
  • pH 5.5–7.5
  • Strong!
  • 5 in
  • Bottom
  • Meat
  • Peaceful

Yellow-cream maze that changes from fish to fish.

Rio Xingu and Rio Iriri, Brazil

King tiger (Xingu)

L333

Hypancistrus seideli

Rio Xingu and Rio Iriri, Brazil · rapids

Temperature
26–30°C
pH
5.5–7.5
Adult size
5 in · 13 cm
Flow
Strong
Swims
Bottom
Temperament
Peaceful
Diet
Carnivore
Breeding
Easy
Typical price
$40–150
In Canada
Common
Rarity
Pet-store staple

Yellow-cream maze that changes from fish to fish. High-grade fish cost more. Very productive, so fry are easy to rehome.

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Queen arabesque

L260
Give us a picture and get credit! ≈

Plecos · HypancistrusUncommon

  • 27–30°C!
  • pH 5.5–7.5
  • Strong!
  • 4 in
  • Bottom
  • Meat
  • Peaceful

Fine white maze lines on black.

Rio Tapajós, Brazil

Queen arabesque

L260

Rio Tapajós, Brazil · rapids

Temperature
27–30°C
pH
5.5–7.5
Adult size
4 in · 11 cm
Flow
Strong
Swims
Bottom
Temperament
Peaceful
Diet
Carnivore
Breeding
Moderate
Typical price
$60–150
In Canada
Occasional
Rarity
Uncommon

Fine white maze lines on black. One of the most refined patterns in the genus.

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Spotted zebra

L174
Give us a picture and get credit! ≈

Plecos · HypancistrusUncommon

  • 27–30°C!
  • pH 5.5–7.5
  • Strong!
  • 4 in
  • Bottom
  • Meat
  • Peaceful

Small, with dense fine gold dots on black.

Rio Xingu, Brazil

Spotted zebra

L174

Rio Xingu, Brazil · rapids

Temperature
27–30°C
pH
5.5–7.5
Adult size
4 in · 10 cm
Flow
Strong
Swims
Bottom
Temperament
Peaceful
Diet
Carnivore
Breeding
Moderate
Typical price
$60–150
In Canada
Occasional
Rarity
Uncommon

Small, with dense fine gold dots on black. Patterns vary, so check photos before buying.

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Angelicus

L136
Give us a picture and get credit! ≈

Plecos · HypancistrusUncommon

  • 26–30°C
  • pH 5.5–7.5
  • Strong!
  • 5 in
  • Bottom
  • Meat
  • Peaceful

Sold as L136a, b and c.

Middle Rio Negro, Brazil

Angelicus

L136

Middle Rio Negro, Brazil · rapids

Temperature
26–30°C
pH
5.5–7.5
Adult size
5 in · 12 cm
Flow
Strong
Swims
Bottom
Temperament
Peaceful
Diet
Carnivore
Breeding
Easy–moderate
Typical price
$40–120
In Canada
Occasional
Rarity
Uncommon

Sold as L136a, b and c. Keep one variant per breeding pair so fry stay true.

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Rio Curuá pleco

L401
Give us a picture and get credit! ≈

Plecos · HypancistrusUncommon

  • 26–30°C
  • pH 5.5–7.5
  • Strong!
  • 4 in
  • Bottom
  • Meat
  • Peaceful

Dark with a golden net pattern.

Rio Curuá, Iriri–Xingu basin, Brazil

Rio Curuá pleco

L401

Rio Curuá, Iriri–Xingu basin, Brazil · rapids

Temperature
26–30°C
pH
5.5–7.5
Adult size
4 in · 11 cm
Flow
Strong
Swims
Bottom
Temperament
Peaceful
Diet
Carnivore
Breeding
Moderate
Typical price
$50–100
In Canada
Occasional
Rarity
Uncommon

Dark with a golden net pattern. It can cross with L236, so only mix them in a tank you won’t sell fry from.

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Dwarf snowball

L471
Give us a picture and get credit! ≈

Plecos · HypancistrusUncommon

  • 26–30°C
  • pH 5.5–7.5
  • Strong!
  • 3 in
  • Bottom
  • Meat
  • Peaceful

A small, white-spotted Hypancistrus.

Unknown origin

Dwarf snowball

L471

Unknown origin · rapids

Temperature
26–30°C
pH
5.5–7.5
Adult size
3 in · 8 cm
Flow
Strong
Swims
Bottom
Temperament
Peaceful
Diet
Carnivore
Breeding
Easy–moderate
Typical price
$25–60
In Canada
Occasional
Rarity
Uncommon

A small, white-spotted Hypancistrus. It can cross with L236, so only mix them in a tank you won’t sell fry from.

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Super white

L236
Give us a picture and get credit! ≈

Plecos · HypancistrusRare

  • 28–31°C!
  • pH 5.5–7.5
  • Strong!
  • 4 in
  • Bottom
  • Meat
  • Peaceful

Grading is by how much white shows, and the whitest fish sell for the most.

Rio Xingu, Pará, Brazil

Super white

L236

Rio Xingu, Pará, Brazil · rapids

Temperature
28–31°C
pH
5.5–7.5
Adult size
4 in · 9 cm
Flow
Strong
Swims
Bottom
Temperament
Peaceful
Diet
Carnivore
Breeding
Moderate, slow
Typical price
$200–1000
In Canada
Rare
Rarity
Rare or hard to breed

Grading is by how much white shows, and the whitest fish sell for the most. Best at 29–30°C with strong flow and protein-heavy food.

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Colombian zebra

L129
Give us a picture and get credit! ≈

Plecos · HypancistrusStaple

  • 26–30°C
  • pH 5.5–7.5
  • Strong!
  • 4 in
  • Bottom
  • Meat
  • Peaceful

Small and busy, with thin black-and-white stripes.

Rio Guaviare and upper Orinoco, Colombia

Colombian zebra

L129

Hypancistrus debilittera

Rio Guaviare and upper Orinoco, Colombia · rapids

Temperature
26–30°C
pH
5.5–7.5
Adult size
4 in · 9 cm
Flow
Strong
Swims
Bottom
Temperament
Peaceful
Diet
Carnivore
Breeding
Easy
Typical price
$35–70
In Canada
Common
Rarity
Pet-store staple

Small and busy, with thin black-and-white stripes. Easy to breed.

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