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: Home water: Rapids ✕

Rapids 9 fish

Zebra

L046

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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.

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Photo: Birger A, CC BY-SA 3.0

Orinoco angel

L201

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Plecos · HypancistrusStaple

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

Crisp white dots and white fin edges.

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

King tiger

L066

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Plecos · HypancistrusStaple

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

Bold cream worm-lines on black.

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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Colombian zebra

L129

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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.

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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Super white

L236

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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.

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Queen arabesque

L260

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Plecos · HypancistrusUncommon

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

Fine white maze lines on black.

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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King tiger (Xingu)

L333

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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.

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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Mega clown

L340

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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.

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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Rio Curuá pleco

L401

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Plecos · HypancistrusUncommon

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

Dark with a golden net pattern.

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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