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.

Endangered ✓ Rare ✓ Popular Peaceful Small (6 cm or less)Calm water Strong flow Schooling ✓ L-numbers With photo Basic profiles too

Showing: Flow: Strong current ✕

Strong current 7 fish

Red-fin cactus

L024

≈

Plecos · PseudacanthicusRare

26–30°C
pH 5.5–7.5
Strong!
16 in!
Bottom
Meat
Aggressive!

Dark body with red fin edges.

Red-fin cactus

L024

Pseudacanthicus pitanga

Rio Tocantins, Brazil · rapids

Temperature: 26–30°C
pH: 5.5–7.5
Adult size: 16 in · 40 cm
Flow: Strong
Swims: Bottom
Temperament: Aggressive
Diet: Carnivore
Breeding: Rarely
Typical price: $130–400
In Canada: Rare
Rarity: Rare or hard to breed

Dark body with red fin edges. Large and aggressive.

View full profile

Photo: B. Phalan, CC BY 4.0

Zebra

L046

≈

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.

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.

View full profile

Photo: Birger A, CC BY-SA 3.0

Gold nugget

L081

≈

Plecos · BaryancistrusRare

27–30°C!
pH 5.5–7.5
Strong!
8 in!
Bottom
Mixed
Territorial!

Black with yellow spots and gold fin edges.

Gold nugget

L081

Baryancistrus xanthellus

Rio Xingu, and the Rio Iriri for L177 · rapids

Temperature: 27–30°C
pH: 5.5–7.5
Adult size: 8 in · 20 cm
Flow: Strong
Swims: Bottom
Temperament: Territorial
Diet: Omnivore
Breeding: Hard
Typical price: $60–250
In Canada: Occasional
Rarity: Rare or hard to breed

Black with yellow spots and gold fin edges. Grows larger than Hypancistrus and holds a territory.

View full profile

Photo: Anne Blindheim, CC BY-SA 3.0

Guyana leopard cactus

L600

≈

Plecos · PseudacanthicusRare

26–30°C
pH 5.5–7.5
Strong!
12 in!
Bottom
Meat
Aggressive!

Spotted cactus pleco with orange-edged fins.

Guyana leopard cactus

L600

Pseudacanthicus leopardus

Rupununi and Essequibo, Guyana, and the Rio Branco, Brazil · rapids

Temperature: 26–30°C
pH: 5.5–7.5
Adult size: 12 in · 30 cm
Flow: Strong
Swims: Bottom
Temperament: Aggressive
Diet: Carnivore
Breeding: Rarely
Typical price: $90–300
In Canada: Rare
Rarity: Rare or hard to breed

Spotted cactus pleco with orange-edged fins. Large, spiny and aggressive with other plecos.

View full profile

Photo: Sesamehoneytart, CC BY-SA 3.0

Galaxy vampire

L029

Give us a picture and get credit! ≈

Plecos · LeporacanthicusRare

26–30°C
pH 5.5–7.5
Strong!
10 in!
Bottom
Meat
Aggressive!

The vampire pleco.

Galaxy vampire

L029

Leporacanthicus galaxias

Rio Tocantins and nearby Pará rivers, Brazil · rapids

Temperature: 26–30°C
pH: 5.5–7.5
Adult size: 10 in · 25 cm
Flow: Strong
Swims: Bottom
Temperament: Aggressive
Diet: Carnivore
Breeding: Hard
Typical price: $60–200
In Canada: Occasional
Rarity: Rare or hard to breed

The vampire pleco. Beautiful, but it gets large and bullies smaller plecos.

View full profile

Three-beacon vampire

L091

Give us a picture and get credit! ≈

Plecos · LeporacanthicusRare

26–30°C
pH 5.5–7.5
Strong!
8 in!
Bottom
Meat
Territorial!

Eats snails and holds a cave firmly.

Three-beacon vampire

L091

Leporacanthicus triactis

Orinoco, Venezuela · rapids

Temperature: 26–30°C
pH: 5.5–7.5
Adult size: 8 in · 20 cm
Flow: Strong
Swims: Bottom
Temperament: Territorial
Diet: Carnivore
Breeding: Hard
Typical price: $60–150
In Canada: Occasional
Rarity: Rare or hard to breed

Eats snails and holds a cave firmly. Can be rough with smaller plecos.

View full profile

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.

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.

View full profile

Showing 7 of 7