Ancistrus is a genus of nocturnal freshwater fish in the family Loricariidae of order Siluriformes, native to freshwater habitats in South America and Panama. Fish of this genus are common in the aquarium trade where they are known as bushynose or bristlenose catfish. In the aquarium hobby they are often referred to as bushynose or bristlenose plecos instead, but this may lead to confusion as "pleco" usually is used for Hypostomus plecostomus and its allies and is often used as a catchall term for any loricariids remotely resembling that species.
Mouthbrooding, also known as oral incubation and buccal incubation, is the care given by some groups of animals to their offspring by holding them in the mouth of the parent for extended periods of time. Although mouthbrooding is performed by a variety of different animals, such as the Darwin's frog, fish are by far the most diverse mouthbrooders. Mouthbrooding has evolved independently in several different families of fish.
Pterophyllum is a small genus of freshwater fish from the family Cichlidae known to most aquarists as angelfish. All Pterophyllum species originate from the Amazon Basin, Orinoco Basin and various rivers in the Guiana Shield in tropical South America. The three species of Pterophyllum are unusually shaped for cichlids being greatly laterally compressed, with round bodies and elongated triangular dorsal and anal fins. This body shape allows them to hide among roots and plants, often on a vertical surface. Naturally occurring angelfish are frequently striped transversely, colouration which provides additional camouflage. Angelfish are ambush predators and prey on small fish and macroinvertebrates. All Pterophyllum species form monogamous pairs. Eggs are generally laid on a submerged log or a flattened leaf. As is the case for other cichlids, brood care is highly developed.
The common seadragon or weedy seadragon is a marine fish of the order Syngnathiformes, which also includes the similar pipefishes, seahorses, and trumpetfishes among other species. Adult common seadragons are a reddish colour, with yellow and purple striped markings; they have small, leaf-like appendages that resemble kelp or seaweed fronds, providing camouflage, as well as a number of short spines for protection. As with seahorses and the other syngnathids, the seadragon has a similarly tubular snout and a fused, toothless jaw into which it captures small invertebrate prey at lightning speed. Males have narrower bodies and are darker than females. Seadragons have a long dorsal fin along the back and small pectoral fins on either side of the neck, which provide balance. Weedy seadragons can reach 45 cm (18 in) in length.
Sterba's corydoras is a member of the South American Corydoras genus of freshwater aquarium catfish and one of the most popular species of Corydoras due to its attractive markings. The fish is native to the Guaporé River region between Bolivia and Brazil.
The convict cichlid is a fish species from the family Cichlidae, native to Central America, also known as the zebra cichlid. Convict cichlids are popular aquarium fish and have also been the subject of numerous studies on fish behaviour.
Corydoras paleatus is a species of catfish of the family Callichthyidae. Its common names include blue leopard corydoras, mottled corydoras, and peppered catfish. It originates from the lower Paraná River basin and coastal rivers in Uruguay and Brazil.
Corydoras panda is a species of catfish belonging to the genus Corydoras, of the family Callichthyidae, and is a native member of the riverine fauna of South America. It is found in Peru and Ecuador, most notably in the Huánuco region, where it inhabits the Río Aquas, the Río Amarillae, a tributary of the Río Pachitea, and the Río Ucayali river system. The species was first collected by Randolph H. Richards in 1968, and was named Corydoras panda by Nijssen and Isbrücker in 1971. The specific name is an allusion to the appearance of the fish, which possesses large black patches surrounding the eyes, reminiscent of those found on the giant panda. Accordingly, the common names for this fish, which is a popular aquarium species, are panda corydoras and panda catfish.
The dwarf corydoras, dwarf catfish, tail spot pygmy catfish, or micro catfish is a tropical freshwater fish belonging to the subfamily Corydoradinae of the family Callichthyidae. It originates in inland waters in South America, and is found in the Amazon River and Paraguay River basins in Argentina, Bolivia, and Brazil. The specific epithet hastatus means with a spear, in reference to the spearhead-like spot on the tail root.
The emerald catfish is a tropical freshwater fish belonging to the Corydoradinae sub-family of the family Callichthyidae native to the Amazon Basin in South America. It has traditionally been known as Brochis splendens. The fish has appeared on a stamp in Brazil.
The lemon tetra is a species of tropical freshwater fish which originates from South America, belonging to the family Characidae. It is a small tetra growing to 5 cm (2 in) in length. The species is a long established favourite aquarium fish, being introduced to the aquarium in 1932.
Hemigrammus erythrozonus, commonly known as the glowlight tetra, is a small tropical fish from the Essequibo River, Guyana, South America. It is silver in colour and a bright iridescent orange to red stripe extends from the snout to the base of its tail, the front of the dorsal fin being the same color as the stripe. Other fins are silver to transparent. The glowlight tetra is a peaceful, shoaling fish. It is larger than the neon tetra, and its peaceful disposition makes it an ideal, and popular, community tank fish. It should be kept with similar sized, non-aggressive species. Hemigrammus gracilis is a senior synonym. The red-line rasbora of Malaysia and Indonesia has markings and coloring very similar to H. erythrozonus, but is a member of family Cyprinidae, not a close relative.
Mikrogeophagus altispinosus is a species of fish endemic to the southern Amazon River basin in Brazil and Bolivia. The species is part of the family Cichlidae and subfamily Geophaginae. It is a popular aquarium fish, traded under the common names Bolivian butterfly, Bolivian ram, Bolivian ram cichlid, and ruby crown cichlid.
Panaqolus maccus, commonly called the clown panaque, clown plecostomus, clown pleco, or ringlet pleco, is a dwarf loricariid. By numbering systems such as the L-number system, this fish may also be known as L104, L162, or LDA22.
Hypancistrus is a genus of loricariid catfish originating from the Amazon basin in South America. Unlike many of the other Loricariids, however, some Hypancistrus species are more carnivorous and enjoy meat in their diet. Hypancistrus species are popular aquarium fish, including such popular fish as the zebra pleco and Queen Arabesque pleco.
The rainbow shark is a species of Southeast Asian freshwater fish from the family Cyprinidae. It is also known as the ruby shark, red-fin shark, red-finned shark, rainbow sharkminnow, green fringelip labeo, whitefin shark and whitetail sharkminnow. It is a popular, semi-aggressive aquarium fish. Unlike true sharks, which belong to the Chondrichthyes lineage, the rainbow shark is an actinopterygiian.
Apistogramma hongsloi is a species of dwarf cichlid fish, native to the Orinoco basin in South America. They are often kept in the aquariums and prefer to have soft, acidic water.
Corydoras rabauti, also known as the rust corydoras, or Rabaut's corydoras is a small species of tropical freshwater armoured catfish native to the Upper Amazon, Solimões, and Rio Negro basins in South America. It was first described by the American ichthyologist Francesca Raimonde La Monte in 1941, and is frequently seen in the aquarium trade.
Corydoras imitator is a small species of tropical freshwater armoured catfish native to the Upper Amazon, Solimões, and Rio Negro basins in South America. It was first described by the Dutch icthyologists Han Nijssen and Isaäc J. H. Isbrücker in 1983, and is frequently seen in the aquarium trade.
Pseudacanthicus pirarara is a species of catfish in the family Loricariidae native to South America. It was described in 2016 by Carine C. Chamon of the Federal University of Tocantins and Leandro M. de Sousa of the Federal University of Pará, primarily on the basis of the species' unique coloration and patterning. Its specific epithet, pirarara, derives from a Tupi word meaning "macaw-fish", which is frequently used in Brazil to refer to the redtail catfish. It is known that P. pirarara is referred to as the assacu-pirarara by Brazilian fishermen, alluding both to its coloration and its spines, as assacu refers to the spine-covered tree Hura crepitans.
