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.

Plecos79 fish

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

The fishes 79 fish · new every day

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Titanic pleco

L203

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Plecos · Panaque

24–29°C
pH 5.5–7.5
Bottom
Wood!

Titanic pleco

L203

Panaque schaeferi

Amazon basin · river

Temperature: 24–29°C
pH: 5.5–7.5
Swims: Bottom
Diet: Wood

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Photo: Nelson Apolo, CC BY NC

Sultan

L264

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Plecos · LeporacanthicusRare

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

White spots and white-tipped fins on black.

Sultan

L264

Leporacanthicus joselimai

Rio Tapajós, Brazil · 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

White spots and white-tipped fins on black. Grows to about 20 cm and holds a cave firmly.

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Photo: Thomas Siems, CC BY-SA 2.0

Pearlscale whiptail

L042

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Plecos · Rineloricaria

22–27°C
pH 5.5–7.5
Bottom
Mixed

Pearlscale whiptail

L042

Rineloricaria cf. platyura

Unknown origin · river

Temperature: 22–27°C
pH: 5.5–7.5
Swims: Bottom
Diet: Omnivore

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Photo: Julien Renoult, CC BY 4.0

Scarlet cactus

L025

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Plecos · PseudacanthicusRare

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

Grey with scarlet fins.

Scarlet cactus

L025

Pseudacanthicus pirarara

Rio Xingu, Brazil · rapids

Temperature: 26–30°C
pH: 5.5–7.5
Adult size: 24 in · 60 cm
Flow: Strong
Swims: Bottom
Temperament: Aggressive
Diet: Carnivore
Breeding: Rarely
Typical price: $400–1000
In Canada: Rare
Rarity: Rare or hard to breed

Grey with scarlet fins. Can pass 60 cm, so it needs a tank of its own.

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Photo: JSutton93, CC BY SA

Thresher pleco

L011

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Plecos · Aphanotorulus

23–28°C
pH 5.5–7.5
Bottom
Mixed

Thresher pleco

L011

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

Fatamorgana Pleco

L196

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Plecos · Pterygoplichthys

23–28°C
pH 5.5–7.5
Bottom
Mixed

Fatamorgana Pleco

L196

Pterygoplichthys lituratus

Rio Madeira, Brazil · river

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

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Photo: Leonardo Bergamini, CC BY

Leopard frog

L134

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Plecos · PeckoltiaStaple

25–30°C
pH 5.5–7.5
Gentle
4 in
Bottom
Mixed
Peaceful

Yellow with black saddles.

Leopard frog

L134

Peckoltia compta

Rio Tapajós, Brazil · river

Temperature: 25–30°C
pH: 5.5–7.5
Adult size: 4 in · 11 cm
Flow: Gentle
Swims: Bottom
Temperament: Peaceful
Diet: Omnivore
Breeding: Moderate
Typical price: $30–120
In Canada: Common
Rarity: Pet-store staple

Yellow with black saddles. A different genus from L236, so no hybrid risk in the display.

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Photo: Frank M Greco, CC BY 3.0

Lasiancistrus cf. caucanus

L312

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Plecos · Lasiancistrus

24–28°C
pH 5.5–7.5
Bottom
Mixed

Lasiancistrus cf. caucanus

L312

Lasiancistrus cf. caucanus

Unknown origin · river

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

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Photo: Ictiologia Universidad Católica de Oriente, CC BY 2.0

Tapajos royal pleco

L027-Tapajos

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Plecos · Panaque

24–29°C
pH 5.5–7.5
Bottom
Wood!

Tapajos royal pleco

L027-Tapajos

Panaque armbrusteri

Rio Tocantins, Araguaia and Tapajós, Brazil · river

Temperature: 24–29°C
pH: 5.5–7.5
Swims: Bottom
Diet: Wood

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Photo: JSutton93, CC BY-SA 4.0

Pseudacanthicus cf. spinosus

L375

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Plecos · Pseudacanthicus

26–30°C
pH 5.5–7.5
Bottom
Meat

Pseudacanthicus cf. spinosus

L375

Pseudacanthicus cf. spinosus

Unknown origin · river

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

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Photo: François-Louis Laporte, PD

Blue phantom

L128

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Plecos · HemiancistrusRare

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

Blue-grey with fine white dots.

Blue phantom

L128

Upper 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: Omnivore
Breeding: Moderate–hard
Typical price: $80–200
In Canada: Occasional
Rarity: Rare or hard to breed

Blue-grey with fine white dots. Grows larger than it looks in the store.

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Photo: EnjiBenji, CC0

Blue-eye lemon bristlenose

L144

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Plecos · AncistrusStaple

22–28°C
pH 5.5–7.5
Gentle
5 in
Bottom
Mixed
Peaceful

Yellow bristlenose with blue eyes.

Blue-eye lemon bristlenose

L144

Aquarium-bred strain. Its wild origin isn’t well documented. · river

Temperature: 22–28°C
pH: 5.5–7.5
Adult size: 5 in · 12 cm
Flow: Gentle
Swims: Bottom
Temperament: Peaceful
Diet: Omnivore
Breeding: Easy
Typical price: $10–35
In Canada: Common
Rarity: Pet-store staple

Yellow bristlenose with blue eyes. Easy and cheap, but happier below 28°C. L144a is the longfin form.

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Photo: Corydoras-adolfoi, CC BY-SA 4.0

Medusa pleco

L034

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Plecos · Ancistrus

23–27°C
pH 5.5–7.5
Bottom
Mixed

Medusa pleco

L034

Ancistrus ranunculus

Rio Xingu, Brazil · river

Temperature: 23–27°C
pH: 5.5–7.5
Swims: Bottom
Diet: Omnivore

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Photo: Micke, CC BY NC

Peppermint pleco

L176

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Plecos · Parancistrus

27–31°C!
pH 5.5–7.5
Bottom
Veg

Peppermint pleco

L176

Parancistrus nudiventris

Rio Xingu, Brazil · river

Temperature: 27–31°C
pH: 5.5–7.5
Swims: Bottom
Diet: Grazer

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Photo: Gabriel Lelis Togni, CC BY 3.0

Coffee & cream pleco

L096

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Plecos · Pseudacanthicus

26–30°C
pH 5.5–7.5
Bottom
Meat

Coffee & cream pleco

L096

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

Guyana leopard cactus

L600

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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.

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Photo: Sesamehoneytart, CC BY-SA 3.0

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