The Bee Shrimp (Caridina cf. cantonensis) is a species of small freshwater filter feeders that is native to mainland China, Hong Kong and the New Territories, Malaya and Japan that has become the latest craze for tropical fish keeping enthusiasts. In the wild, Bee Shrimp live in the moderate to faster flowing mountain streams and […]

Read the full story

The Banjo Catfish (Bunocephalus coracoideus) known to tropical fish keeping enthusiasts as Guitarrita or Bicolor Banjo Catfish is a peaceful species found in the leaf littered creeks and ponds of the Amazon River basin in Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, and Uruguay. Banjo Catfish (Bunocephalus coracoideus) are nocturnal predators that feed on small worms, crustaceans, debris found […]

Read the full story

The Green Swordtail or Common Swordtail (Xiphophorus helleri) is a hardy, colorful, freshwater/brackish water, live bearing species endemic to southeastern Mexico, southern Belize, central Guatemala, and northwestern Honduras that is related to guppies, mollies, and platys. The Green Swordtail (Xiphophorus helleri) a.k.a. Common Swordtail is very closely related to Xiphophorus maculatus (the southern Platy) and […]

Read the full story

The Red Cherry shrimp (Neocaridina heteropoda) also known to tropical fish keeping enthusiasts as the Cherry Shrimp, Fire Shrimp, or Sakura Shrimp is a decorative species of dwarf shrimp that hails from Taiwan. Red Cherry shrimp are probably the most popular of the dwarf shrimps that are now available to tropical fish keeping enthusiasts.   They […]

Read the full story

The Royal Knifefish or Royal Featherback (chitala blanci) also known to tropical fish keeping enthusiasts as the Royal Clown Knifefish, Indochina Featherback, and Mekong Featherback is endemic to the Mekong river drainage in Cambodia, Thailand, Viet Nam, and Lao People’s Democratic Republic as well as the Mekong delta region and Tonlé Sap lake system. Royal […]

Read the full story

Knifefish are a shy, secretive species that are found throughout Southeast Asia, Africa, Central America, and South America.   Although many tropical fish keeping enthusiasts find several of these species somewhat challenging to keep, they have also become one of the most sought after “oddball” species in the aquarium trade. Freshwater knifefish species are generally grouped into […]

Read the full story

Many tropical fish keeping enthusiasts regard the Molly (Poecilia sphenops) as one of the most popular aquarium fish, but because of their fast growth rate, birth size, reproduction rate, and brood numbers, they have also become a primary feeder fish in the aquarium hobby. Except for the Endler’s livebearer (Poecilia wingei) and the well known […]

Read the full story

The Six Banded Distichodus (Distichodus sexfasciatus) is found in Lake Tanganyika, Cameroon, Tanzania, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Six Banded Distichodus (Distichodus sexfasciatus) are a fast moving benthic species that inhabits the lakes and rivers of their range and are often confused as juveniles with the much less common and smaller Long Nosed Distichodus […]

Read the full story

The Batik Loach (Mesonoemacheilus triangularis aka Nemacheilus triangularis) more commonly known to tropical fish keeping enthusiasts as the Zodiac Loach, is found in the Manimala river and the drainages of other river systems on both sides of the Western Ghats mountain range, in the states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu, India.   It is commonly found […]

Read the full story

The Blue Phantom Pleco (Hemiancistrus Specie) is a stunning riverine species found only in the northern Rio Orinoco drainage of Venezuela. In their natural environment, Blue Phantom Plecos inhabit moderate to fast flowing rivers and streams with rocky substrates where they feed upon aufwuchs, algae, and small aquatic crustaceans. The Blue Phantom Pleco has an […]

Read the full story

The Forktail Rainbowfish (Pseudomugil furcatus) also know to tropical fish keeping enthusiasts as the Yellow Rainbow, is a peaceful, shoaling species that is found in a relatively small area in eastern Paupua New Guinea.    Specimens were first collected from Peria Creek, Kwagira River and subsequently recorded in the Musa and Kwagila river basins, which both […]

Read the full story

The New Guinea mudskipper (Periophthalmus cantonensis, aka Periophthalmus novaeguineaensis) also known to tropical fish keeping enthusiasts as the New Guinea dyndspringe, is found in northern Australia, the Fly river delta in Papua New Guinea, and Merauke, New Guinea. The New Guinea Mudskipper is found in freshwater streams, the marginal areas of estuaries and tidal creeks, […]

Read the full story

The West African Mudskipper (Periophthalmus barbarus) also known to tropical fish keeping enthusiasts as the Atlantic Mudskipper, is found throughout the west African coastline as far north as Mauritania, to as far south as Angola including most of the offshore islands in the Indian Ocean and into the western Pacific Ocean to Guam. The West […]

Read the full story

The Indian Mudskipper (Periophthalmus Septemradiatus) is a brackish water member of the Gobiidae family that is found throughout northern India, Myanmar, Thailand, peninsular and insular Malaysia; and locally near the Ganges delta in India. Not only are Indian Mudskippers able to breathe air through their skin, and the lining of their mouth and throat; they […]

Read the full story

The Centipede Knife Fish (Steatogenys duidae) also known to tropical fish keeping enthusiasts as the Leaf Knifefish or Grass Knifefish, is a nocturnal South American species that is found primarily in the deep water forest pools and creeks of the Amazon River and it’s tributaries throughout Venezuela and Brazil. During the rainy season, Centipede Knife […]

Read the full story

The Elephantnose Knifefish (Sternarchorhynchus oxyrhynchus) is one of 32 known species of knife fishes in the Sternarchorhynchus genus that is found in the slow moving tropical South American rivers, streams, and tributaries of Venezuela, the Guaianes, and the Amazon River, in Brazil. Elephantnose Knifefish have have poor vision and are a relatively peaceful, largely nocturnal species […]

Read the full story

The Karnataka Barb (Sahyadria denisonii) is a new variety of Denison barb that has been collected from a new area in the state of Karnataka, India.   Karnataka is south of Kerala, in southern India where the majority of Red Line Sharks, up until recently, have been collected. Although known to tropical fish keeping enthusiasts […]

Read the full story

The Panda Garra (Garra flavatra) or “Panda Loach” is endemic to the Rakhine Yoma/Arakan mountain range in Rakhine state, western Myanmar (Burma) and although incorrectly labeled as a loach; is often sold to tropical fish keeping enthusiasts as the Clown Loach, Panda Loach, Banded Butterfly Loach, or Rainbow Loach. Although the Panda Garra and it’s […]

Read the full story

The Red Hook (Myloplus rubripinnis) is found throughout Northern South America in the Amazon, Rio Orinoco, and many of the other major river systems.  It has been collected in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela from the densely vegetated slower moving rivers and streams in these regions. In the aquarium trade, Red Hooks […]

Read the full story

Silver Dollar (Metynnis argenteus) is a generic name that is attributed to a number of tropical species in the Characidae (Serrasalmidae) family that are closely related to the South American Pacu and Piranha. All are popular with tropical fish keeping enthusiasts. This Silver Dollar (Metynnis argenteus), is endemic to the Rio Tapajós drainage, in Brazil […]

Read the full story