List of brackish aquarium fish species

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This is a list of commonly seen fish that can be kept in a brackish water aquarium.

Contents

Cyprinodontiformes

Common nameTaxonomyPictureTank typeRemarks
Poeciliids
Guppy Poecilia reticulata Guppy-male.jpg CommunityMany color and tail pattern varieties exist, also can tolerate above ocean level salt. Normally freshwater. [1]
Black molly Poecilia sphenops Molinezje black molly.JPG Community Aquarium fish
Sailfin molly Poecilia latipinna Poecilia latipinna.jpg CommunityGold and silver varieties commonly found.
Others
Four-eyed fish Anableps spp. Vierauge.jpg These fish can see above and below water.
American Flagfish Jordanella floridae Jordanella floridae.jpg CommunityMay eat hair algae, but also may eat plants. [2]

Catfish

Common nameTaxonomyPictureSizeRemarksSalinity
Sea catfish
Colombian shark catfish Hexanematichthys seemanni MA Luisenpark Sciades seemanni.jpg Species of fish
Australian shark catfish Arius graeffei
Berney's shark catfish Arius berneyi Species of fish

Pufferfish

Common nameTaxonomyPictureSizeRemarksSalinity
Common Toadfish, Toado Tetractenos hamiltoni Common Toadfish.jpg 4"Rarely seen in the aquarium trade, even in Australia, where it is native. Adaptable to a wide range of conditions and habitats, from marginal, polluted freshwater-brackish creeks to fully marine seagrass flats, as long as the habitat is sheltered from strong currents.[ citation needed ]
Figure 8 pufferfish Tetraodon biocellatus Tbiocellatus.jpg 4"Requires brackish aquarium conditions with very low Nitrite and Nitrate levels to be kept successfully. Freshwater compromises immune system, harms puffer, and shortens life extremely. Commonly kept in freshwater.
Green spotted puffer Tetraodon nigroviridis Gsppuffer.jpg 6"Often sold as freshwater fish, but this species actually thrives in brackish water. As the fish matures, it requires the salinity levels to slowly increase with age. Must be kept in aquarium with very low Nitrite and Nitrate levels to be kept successfully. A highly varied diet is a necessary requirement for this species. Prawns, muscle meat, mysid, squid and aquatic snails are all relished. Provide Shelled food to naturally trim the puffers constantly growing teeth. [3] 1.008-1.018

Gobies

Common nameTaxonomyPictureSizeRemarksSalinity
Bumblebee goby Brachygobius xanthozonus Brachygobius.jpg 1.5"Often a picky eater. Will accept thawed frozen brine shrimp or mysis shrimp. Can be outcompeted for food by more aggressive fish.
Water Cow Eleotris picta 17"
Violet goby, Dragon goby Gobioides broussonnetii Gobioides broussonnetii.jpg 21"Though pet stores often label as "vicious" this fish is actually quite harmless
Barred mudskipper Periophthalmus argentilineatus Periophthalmus argentilineatus 01.JPG 6"This fish requires "land" to crawl out of the water.
Atlantic mudskipper Periophthalmus barbarus GambianMudskippers.jpg 9"This fish requires "land" to crawl out of the water.
Knight goby Stigmatogobius sadanundio Stigmatogobius sadanundio Day.png 3.5" A species of goby indigenous to South Asia.

Cichlids

Common nameTaxonomyPictureSizeRemarksSalinity
Blackchin tilapia Sarotherodon melanotheron Blackchin tilapia.png 11" Species of ray-finned fish
Orange chromide Etroplus maculatus Etroplus Maculatus.JPG 3" A species of cichlid, indigenous to Southern India and Sri Lanka, with orange coloration.
Green chromide Etroplus suratensis Etroplus suratensis.jpg 15" Species of fish
Mayan cichlid or Mexican mojarra Mayaheros urophthalmus Mayan10a.jpg 39.4 cm A species of large cichlid, indigenous to Middle America, with a tail eye spot.0 – 40 ppt

Beloniformes

Other fish

Common nameTaxonomyPictureSizeRemarksSalinity
Siamese tigerfish Datnioides microlepis Tigerfish037.JPG 18"These fish must be kept in large aquaria. [4]
New Guinea tigerfish Datnioides campbelli New Guinea Tigerfish (Datnioides campbelli) - GRB.JPG 13"These fish must be kept in large aquaria. [4]
Silver moony Monodactylus argenteus Monodactylus argenteus.JPG 10"These fish are also known from marine habitats.
African moony Monodactylus sebae Monodactylus sebae.jpg 10"These fish are also known from marine habitats.
Indian glassy fish Parambassis ranga Painted Indian Glassy Fish.jpg 3.1"These fish are often dyed.
Targetfish, Jarbua terapon Terapon jarbua XRF-Terapon jarbua.jpg 14"These fish breed in saltwater and the young return to freshwater.
Banded archerfish Toxotes jaculatrix Toxotes jaculatrix.jpg 12"These fish have the ability to shoot water to hit their insect prey.
Green Scat, Ruby Scat Scatophagus argus Scatophagus argus (Wroclaw zoo)-2.JPG 15"A ravenous herbivore that quickly defoliates any aquatic plants in the aquarium. One of the few common brackish water plants in the trade, the Java Fern (Microsorum pteropus) appears to be toxic to these fish and should not be planted with "scats".
Hogchoker Trinectes maculatus Hogchoker (Trinectes maculatus).jpg 3"Often sold under the misnomers "Freshwater Flounder" or "Freshwater Fluke", but is in fact a brackish water if not marine fish

See also

References

  1. R, Abhijeet. "Can Guppies Live In Saltwater? Here's What We Found". jaljeev.com/. Retrieved 2022-10-02.
  2. Fabian (2020-05-06). "Flagfish - Habitat, Feeding, Breeding, Tank Size & Mates". SmartAquariumGuide. Retrieved 2022-10-02.
  3. "Green Spotted Pufferfish-Tetraodon nigroviridis". www.fishkeeper.co.uk. Retrieved 2022-10-02.
  4. 1 2 Schäfer F, Brackish - Water fishes, Aqualog 2005 p. 70