The Midas cichlid (Amphilophus citrinellum) is endemic to the San Juan River in Nicaragua and Costa Rica, and is one of the most belligerent cichlids known to tropical fish keeping enthusiasts.   They are frequently confused with the Red Devil cichlid (Amphilophus labiatus) which has larger lips, a smaller nuchal hump and less thickly set in […]

Read the full story

The Tire Track Eel (Mastacembelus armatus) is native to the rivers and streams of India, Pakistan, Sumatra, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Viet Nam, Indonesia and other parts of South East Asia.   They are also known to tropical fish keeping enthusiasts as the Zigzag eel, Spiny Eel, Leopard Spiny Eel, Marbled Spiny Eel, Giant Spiny Eel, […]

Read the full story

The Oscar (Astronotus ocellatus) is a popular South American cichlid species that is also known to tropical fish keeping enthusiasts as the Tiger Oscar, Marble Cichlid and Velvet Cichlid. Astronotus ocellatus is native to Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Peru, and occurs in the Amazon River basin, along the Amazonas, Içá, Negro, Solimões, and Ucayali […]

Read the full story

The Red Fin Shark (Epalzeorhynchos munense) is a rare species of cyprinid fish found in the Mekong, Chao Phraya, and Mae Klong rivers basins in Indochina that closely resembles the Rainbow Shark (Epalzeorhynchos frenatum). The Red Fin Shark was named for the Menam Mun River at Tha Chang, East of Korat in eastern Thailand from […]

Read the full story

The Rainbow Shark (Epalzeorhynchos frenatus) is a popular semi aggressive aquarium species known to tropical fish keeping enthusiasts as the Ruby Shark, Red-Finned Shark, Red-Fin Shark, Rainbow Sharkminnow, Green Fringelip Labeo, Whitefin Shark and Whitetail Sharkminnow. Rainbow Sharks are native to the Mekong, Chao Phraya, Xe Bangfai and Maeklong river basins in Indochina where they […]

Read the full story

The Scarlet Livebearer (Micropoecilia picta)  is a highly sought after, brackish water guppy species known to tropical fish keeping enthusiasts as the Swamp Guppy, Painted Guppy, or Barrigudinho Guppy.  They are distributed throughout Central and South America, from Trinidad to the Amazon River Delta countries of Brazil, French Guiana, Guyuana, and Trinidad Tobago. Scarlet Livebearers […]

Read the full story

The Fancy Guppy (Poecilia reticulata) is also known to tropical fish keeping enthusiasts as the rainbowfish, missionary fish, millionfish, or mosquito fish.   Although it is widely distributed throughout the world and is arguably one of the most popular freshwater fish of all time, it’s natural range is in northeast South America The Common Guppy (Poecilia […]

Read the full story

The Round Tailed Paradise Fish (Macropodus Ocellatus) is also known to tropical fish keeping enthusiasts as the Chinese Paradise Fish and is found throughout China, Korea, Japan, and probably northeastern Vietnam between the Zhu Jiang (Pearl River) in southern China and the Heilong Jiang (Amur River) at the northeastern China, Russian border.   There are also […]

Read the full story

Black Paradise Fish (Macropodus spechti) are found in central Vietnam in the Thu Bồn River system in Quảng Nam province and the Hương (Perfume) River basin in Thừa Thiên-Huế province.   Like other Paradise Fish species, they inhabit rice paddies, irrigation ditches, small pools, marshes, densely vegetated hill streams, and the backwaters of larger rivers in […]

Read the full story

Paradise Fish (Macropodus opercularis) are a species of Gourami that is found throughout East Asia, from the Korean peninsula to North Vietnam.   There are a number of species of Paradise fish known to tropical fish keeping enthusiasts but the most common are Macropodus Opercularis, Macropodus Ocellatus, and Macropodus Spechti.   Of the three, Macropodus opercularis […]

Read the full story

Dwarf Gourami (Colisa lalia) are widely distributed throughout Pakistan, northern India, West Bengal, Assam, and Bangladesh.   They are usually found in thickly vegetated areas together with other Colisa species in swamps, ditches, ponds, irrigation canals, streams, and other sluggish moving waters. Dwarf Gourami have been hybridized into several color variations known to tropical fish […]

Read the full story

Gold Gourami (Trichogaster trichopterus) along with other mutations, are a color variant of Three Spot Gourami (Trichopodus trichopterus) that were developed for tropical fish keeping enthusiasts during the 1970s.   Gold Gourami are also known to tropical fish keeping enthusiasts as the Crosby Gourami after the breeder who developed the morph.   It was further mutated […]

Read the full story

Pearl Gourami (Trichogaster leeri) are also known to tropical fish keeping enthusiasts as the Leeri Gourami or Lace Gourami, and are native to Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia on the islands of Sumatra, and Borneo. The fish are generally collected in the acidic waters of lowland swamps where they prefer the middle and top levels of the […]

Read the full story

The Yo-Yo Loach (Botia almorhae)  is also known to tropical fish keeping enthusiasts as the Pakistani Loach, Reticulated Loach, Y-Loach and Almora Loach.   Although it is named for the district (Almora), Uttarakhand State, India where it is found, it is also called the Pakistani Loach, which is actually a misnomer, since it is restricted to […]

Read the full story

Three spot gourami (Trichopodus trichopterus) are commonly found throughout Southeast Asia and are also known to tropical fish keeping enthusiasts as Blue Gourami. Their range extends from Yunnan China through Laos, Cambodia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand, Java, Borneo and Sumatra, and they have been introduced into Trinidad, Sulawesi, and the Philippines. Three Spot Gourami […]

Read the full story

Giant Red Tail Gourami (Osphronemus laticlavius) are also known to tropical fish keeping enthusiasts as Giant Red Finned Gourami, Red Flag Giant Gourami, Giant Red Fin Goramy, and Red Tail Gourami and are found in Indonesia and Malaysia. The four recognized species in the Osphronemus genus that are commonly referred to as giant gouramis are listed […]

Read the full story

Giant Gourami (Osphronemus goramy) are native to Southeast Asia and are found throughout Borneo, Java, Sumatra, Thailand, Indo-china and the Malay Peninsula.   A recently described species called the Giant Red Tail Gourami (Osphronemus laticlavius) is slightly smaller and can be distinguished from Osphronemus goramy by its red fins.  Although this species is considered rare […]

Read the full story

Giant Chocolate Gourami (Sphaerichthys acrostoma) are known to tropical fish keeping enthusiasts as the Sharp Nosed Gourami, Moonlight Chocolate Gourami, Black Lined Chocolate Gourami, and Black Tailed Chocolate Gourami.   They are found only within the Indonesian parts of the island of Borneo and appear to be well distributed within the Mentaya River drainage system near […]

Read the full story

Crossband Chocolate Gourami (Sphaerichthys selatanensis) also known as the Cherry Chocolate Gourami, are found close to the the city of Banjarmasin in South Kalimantan, Borneo, Indonesia. They appear to be well distributed in southern Borneo and have also been collected close to the settlement of Sampit, which is several hundred kilometers east in Central Kalimantan […]

Read the full story

Chocolate Gourami (Sphaerichthys osphromenoides osphromenoides) are found in the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, and Borneo throughout the Malaysian state of Sarawak and the Indonesian province of West Kalimantan (Kalimantan Barat). Like other Anabantoidei, they possess a labyrinth organ that allows them to breathe atmospheric air to survive in oxygen depleted conditions that would kill most other […]

Read the full story