Oranda Goldfish (Carassius auratus) are known to tropical fish keeping enthusiasts as Holland Ironmask goldfish, Wen, Flower of the Water, or Fancy Oranda, and are arguably one of the most popular goldfish breeds in the world. Like all goldfish breeds, Orandas are descendants of a species of Central Asian (Siberian) wild carp known as the […]

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The Miniature Nannostomus (Nannostomus anduzei) also known to tropical fish keeping enthusiasts as Anduzi’s Naqnnostomus and Miniature Pencilfish, is found about 20 kilometers north of Puerto Ayacucho in Venezuela’s upper Orinoco river basin.   It has also been collected from one other area several hundred kilometers farther south in the rio Ererê  drainage, a minor tributary […]

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Bubble Eye Goldfish (Carassius auratus) also known to tropical fish keeping enthusiasts as the Water Bubble Eye Goldfish, are descendants of a species of Central Asian (Siberia) wild carp known as the Prussian Carp, Silver Prussian carp, or Gibel Carp (Carassius gibelio). Bubble Eye Goldfish are one of the more than 125 captive bred fancy […]

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The Elegant Pencilfish (Nannostomus limatus) is a rare species of found in the Amazon River basin near Santarém, Brazil; specifically in Lake Mapiri and it’s tributaries. Along with two other new species, Nannostomus britskii and Nannostomus nitidus (which DNA analysis suggests is synonymous with Nannostomus limatus), the Elegant Pencilfish was first described from a collection […]

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Rabbit Snails (Tylomelania sp.) are a genus of freshwater gastropods endemic to lakes Poso, Matano, Towuti, Lontoa, Mahalona, and Masapi on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi. Rabbit Snails are known to tropical fish keeping enthusiasts by a variety of names including the Giant Sulawesi Snail, Orange Giant Sulawesi Snail, Golden Giant Sulawesi Snail,Mini Golden Rabbit […]

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The Japanese Trapdoor Snail (Bellamya chinensis) is known to tropical fish keeping enthusiasts as the Chinese Mystery Snail, Black Snail, Trapdoor Snail, Japanese Mystery Snail, Black Japanese Trapdoor Snail, Asian Apple Snail, Rice Snail and Oriental Mystery Snail is actually classified as a “pond” snail that can survive in Northern climates and considered a problematic […]

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Assassin Snails (Clea helena) are a colorful, carnivorous, freshwater species that is found throughout Southeast Asia; primarily Thailand, Malaysia, and (Lake Toba) the Indonesian island Sumatra. Assassin Snails are tolerant of a wide range of water conditions.  They are efficient opportunistic carnivores that as their name implies, feed on live prey and scavenged detritus. In their […]

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The Giant Ramshorn Snail (Marisa cornuarietis) also known to tropical fish keeping enthusiasts as the Columbian Ramshorn Snail, is a relatively large species in the family Ampullaridae that is native to northern South America and Central America. In addition to being native to Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica, French Guiana, Guyana, Panama, Suriname, Trinidad and […]

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Ramshorn Snails (Planorbids) also known by tropical fish keeping enthusiasts as Ram’s Horn Snails, Wheel Snails, Ear Snails, Red Ramshorns, and Brown Ramshorn are in a family of air breathing freshwater snails that have planispiral (coiled flat) shells. Although most aquarium Ramshorn Snail species are in the Planorbidae family, one species, the Giant Ramshorn Snail […]

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Mystery Snails (Pomacea Diffusa) are a common freshwater snail found in the Amazon River system throughout Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay and Peru .   Depending on their size and shell colors, they are also known to tropical fish keeping enthusiasts as the Spike Topped Apple Snail, Golden Mystery Snail, Apple Snail, Golden Apple Snail, Ivory Snail, etc. […]

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Nerite Snails (Neritina natalensis) are a species of aquatic gastropod mollusks that are endemic to Kenya, Mozambique, Somalia, South Africa, and Tanzania; specifically the coastal plains of East Africa.    They are prized by tropical fish keeping enthusiasts for their attractive shell designs and their efficient scavenging of uneaten foods and algae in the aquarium. […]

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Festivum (Mesonauta festivus, Cichlasoma festivum) also known to tropical fish keeping enthusiasts as Flag Cichlids or Barred Cichlids, are found throughout much of the river drainages of northern South America. They have been collected from the Rio Tapajós, Rio Jamari, Rio Madre de Dios, Rio Guaporé, Rio Mamoré, Rio Paraguay and Rio Paraná in Venezuela, […]

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The Coral Red Pencilfish (Nannostomus mortenthaleri) is endemic to the Nanay Basin in Loreto Department, Peru (specifically in a small tributary of the Rio Nanay, at the village of Alvarenga, Loreto, Province of Maynas) and a little west in the Río Tigre system.   Tropical fish keeping enthusiasts also know Nannostomus mortenthaleri as the Red Arc […]

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The Kribensis Cichlid (Pelvicachromis pulcher) is a popular African cichlid that is endemic to Nigeria and Cameroon.   It is also known to tropical fish keeping enthusiasts as kribensis, krib, common krib, red krib, super red krib, rainbow krib, rainbow cichlid, and purple cichlid. The Kribensis Cichlid can be found in fast moving waters, but it […]

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Two Stripe Pencilfish (Nannostomus digrammus) are native to the Branco, Madeira, Trombetas, and Tapajós river drainage in the central Amazon basin in Brazil, and the Rupununi basin in Guyana.    In recent years, similar specimens with an additional thin dark stripe on the lower part of the body were exported from Columbia to Peru which were […]

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The Golden Pencilfish (Nannostomus beckfordi) is also known to tropical fish keeping enthusiasts as Beckford’s Pencilfish or Brown Pencilfish. The Golden Pencilfish has a long, elongated body that is gold with a silvery band along the middle of the flanks, bordered above by a reddish band, and below by a blackish band with a cream […]

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The Barred Espei Pencilfish (Nannostomus espei) is also known to tropical fish keeping enthusiasts as Espei’s Pencilfish, Four-Barred Pencilfish, or Banded Pencilfish and is endemic to the Mazaruni River system in Guyana, from the Peaima to Tiboku waterfalls, including many of its tributaries such as the Kurupung, Eping, and Tabuba.   There are also unconfirmed occurrences […]

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The Lohachata Botia Loach (Botia lohachata) is also known to tropical fish keeping enthusiasts as the Yoyo Loach, Almorha Loach, Pakistani Loach, Reticulated Loach, and Y-Loach. Because only a single juvenile specimen was used to originally describe Botia lohachata, the validity of the species has never been fully resolved.   Grant in 2007 considered it as […]

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The Featherfin Rainbow (Iriatherina werneri) also known to tropical fish keeping enthusiasts as the Threadfin Rainbow is found between Merauke and the mouth of the Fly River in Papua New Guinea, and Lakes Kala and Bosset.  In Australia, they are found in the numerous river basins of the Cape York Peninsula, Queensland state and in […]

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The Long Nosed Distichodus (Distichodus Lusosso) also known to tropical fish keeping enthusiasts as the Long Snout Distichodus, is a seldom seen species that originates from Cameroon, the Republic of Congo, the Democratic Republic of Congo. Juveniles are frequently misidentified and sold as the more common Six Banded Distichodus (Distichodus sexfasciatus) which is found in […]

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