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.

Plecos446 fish

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

The fishes 446 fish · new every day

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Paraguay Pleco

L051

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Plecos · Hypostomus

23–28°C
pH 5.5–7.5
Bottom
Mixed

Paraguay Pleco

L051

Hypostomus latifrons

Unknown origin · river

Temperature: 23–28°C
pH: 5.5–7.5
Swims: Bottom
Diet: Omnivore

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Photo: Julia Mantinian, CC BY NC

Tangerine tiger

L397

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Plecos · PanaqolusUncommon

24–28°C
pH 5.5–7.5
Gentle
4 in
Bottom
Wood!
Peaceful

Orange-and-dark banded Panaqolus, also sold as the Alenquer tiger.

Tangerine tiger

L397

Near Alenquer, lower Amazon, Brazil · river

Temperature: 24–28°C
pH: 5.5–7.5
Adult size: 4 in · 10 cm
Flow: Gentle
Swims: Bottom
Temperament: Peaceful
Diet: Wood
Breeding: Moderate
Typical price: $50–100
In Canada: Occasional
Rarity: Uncommon

Orange-and-dark banded Panaqolus, also sold as the Alenquer tiger. Needs driftwood.

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Photo: Fish Tank Society, CC BY-SA 4.0

Clown pleco

L104

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Plecos · PanaqolusStaple

24–28°C
pH 5.5–7.5
Gentle
4 in
Bottom
Wood!
Peaceful

A small wood-eater with orange bands.

Clown pleco

L104

Panaqolus maccus

Orinoco basin, Venezuela and Colombia · river

Temperature: 24–28°C
pH: 5.5–7.5
Adult size: 4 in · 9 cm
Flow: Gentle
Swims: Bottom
Temperament: Peaceful
Diet: Wood
Breeding: Moderate
Typical price: $15–35
In Canada: Common
Rarity: Pet-store staple

A small wood-eater with orange bands. Needs driftwood to rasp and tops out around 28°C.

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Photo: Jarne Colman, CC0

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

Common pleco

L021

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Plecos · Pterygoplichthys

23–28°C
pH 5.5–7.5
Bottom
Mixed

Common pleco

L021

Pterygoplichthys pardalis

Amazon basin · river

Temperature: 23–28°C
pH: 5.5–7.5
Swims: Bottom
Diet: Omnivore

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Photo: NasserHalaweh, CC BY-SA 4.0

Hi-fin green phantom

L200hf

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Plecos · BaryancistrusRare

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

The hi-fin version, with a tall dorsal.

Hi-fin green phantom

L200hf

Baryancistrus demantoides

Upper Orinoco and Ventuari, Venezuela · rapids

Temperature: 27–30°C
pH: 5.5–7.5
Adult size: 6 in · 16 cm
Flow: Strong
Swims: Bottom
Temperament: Territorial
Diet: Omnivore
Breeding: Hard
Typical price: $100–250
In Canada: Rare
Rarity: Rare or hard to breed

The hi-fin version, with a tall dorsal. Territorial, and rarely bred.

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Photo: Anne Blindheim, CC BY-SA 3.0

Starlight bristlenose

L183

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Plecos · AncistrusUncommon

23–28°C
pH 5.5–7.5
Gentle
6 in
Bottom
Mixed
Peaceful

Black with white stars and white fin edges.

Starlight bristlenose

L183

Ancistrus dolichopterus

Rio Negro, Brazil · river

Temperature: 23–28°C
pH: 5.5–7.5
Adult size: 6 in · 15 cm
Flow: Gentle
Swims: Bottom
Temperament: Peaceful
Diet: Omnivore
Breeding: Easy–moderate
Typical price: $25–80
In Canada: Occasional
Rarity: Uncommon

Black with white stars and white fin edges. The prettiest bristlenose, but it prefers cooler, soft water.

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Photo: Alberto Mejia-Paniagua, CC BY NC SA

Hypostomus cochliodon

L310

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Plecos · Hypostomus

23–28°C
pH 5.5–7.5
Bottom
Mixed

Hypostomus cochliodon

L310

Hypostomus cochliodon

Rio Paraná, Brazil · river

Temperature: 23–28°C
pH: 5.5–7.5
Swims: Bottom
Diet: Omnivore

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Photo: Douglas Lopes, CC BY 4.0

Xingu Lipbrooder

L010

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Plecos · Loricaria

24–28°C
pH 5.5–7.5
Bottom
Mixed

Xingu Lipbrooder

L010

Loricaria birindellii

Rio Xingu, Iriri and Curua, Brazil · river

Temperature: 24–28°C
pH: 5.5–7.5
Swims: Bottom
Diet: Omnivore

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Photo: Gabriel Lelis Togni, CC BY 3.0

Hypostomus cf. nematopterus

L060

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Plecos · Hypostomus

23–28°C
pH 5.5–7.5
Bottom
Mixed

Hypostomus cf. nematopterus

L060

Hypostomus cf. nematopterus

Unknown origin · river

Temperature: 23–28°C
pH: 5.5–7.5
Swims: Bottom
Diet: Omnivore

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Photo: Maël Lemaitre, CC BY NC

Flash pleco

L204

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Plecos · PanaqolusUncommon

24–28°C
pH 5.5–7.5
Gentle
4 in
Bottom
Wood!
Peaceful

White vermiculation with orange-red fin edges.

Flash pleco

L204

Panaqolus albivermis

Peruvian Amazon · river

Temperature: 24–28°C
pH: 5.5–7.5
Adult size: 4 in · 11 cm
Flow: Gentle
Swims: Bottom
Temperament: Peaceful
Diet: Wood
Breeding: Moderate
Typical price: $50–100
In Canada: Occasional
Rarity: Uncommon

White vermiculation with orange-red fin edges. A wood-eater, so add driftwood and vegetables.

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Photo: Hantanplan, CC0

Thresher pleco

L035

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Plecos · Aphanotorulus

23–28°C
pH 5.5–7.5
Bottom
Mixed

Thresher pleco

L035

Aphanotorulus emarginatus

Rio Suriname, Suriname · river

Temperature: 23–28°C
pH: 5.5–7.5
Swims: Bottom
Diet: Omnivore

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Photo: Sidnei Dantas, CC BY-SA 4.0

Coffee & cream pleco

L160

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Plecos · Pseudacanthicus

26–30°C
pH 5.5–7.5
Bottom
Meat

Coffee & cream pleco

L160

Pseudacanthicus spinosus

Amazon basin · river

Temperature: 26–30°C
pH: 5.5–7.5
Swims: Bottom
Diet: Carnivore

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Photo: François-Louis Laporte, PD

Peckoltia sp.

L218

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Plecos · Peckoltia

25–29°C
pH 5.5–7.5
Bottom
Mixed

Peckoltia sp.

L218

Peckoltia sp.

Unknown origin · river

Temperature: 25–29°C
pH: 5.5–7.5
Swims: Bottom
Diet: Omnivore

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Photo: Frank-Christian Baum (user Fcbaum), CC BY-SA 3.0

Pterygoplichthys joselimaianus

L022

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Plecos · Pterygoplichthys

23–28°C
pH 5.5–7.5
Bottom
Mixed

Pterygoplichthys joselimaianus

L022

Pterygoplichthys joselimaianus

Rio Tocantins, Brazil · river

Temperature: 23–28°C
pH: 5.5–7.5
Swims: Bottom
Diet: Omnivore

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Photo: 5snake5, CC BY-SA 4.0

Hypostomus sp.

L342

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Plecos · Hypostomus

23–28°C
pH 5.5–7.5
Bottom
Mixed

Hypostomus sp.

L342

Hypostomus sp.

Unknown origin · river

Temperature: 23–28°C
pH: 5.5–7.5
Swims: Bottom
Diet: Omnivore

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