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: River & region: Xingu ✕

Xingu 6 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

Gold nugget

L081

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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.

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Photo: Anne Blindheim, CC BY-SA 3.0

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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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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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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Tankei tiger

L398

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Plecos · PanaqolusUncommon

25–29°C
pH 5.5–7.5
Gentle
4 in
Bottom
Wood!
Peaceful

A small banded wood-eater.

Tankei tiger

L398

Panaqolus tankei

Rio Xingu, Brazil · river

Temperature: 25–29°C
pH: 5.5–7.5
Adult size: 4 in · 10 cm
Flow: Gentle
Swims: Bottom
Temperament: Peaceful
Diet: Wood
Breeding: Moderate
Typical price: $30–60
In Canada: Occasional
Rarity: Uncommon

A small banded wood-eater. Add driftwood and vegetables.

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