Bolivia

The marbled headstander, Abramites hypselonotus, is an anostomid from the Amazon, Orinoco and Paraguay-Paraná basins in South America. An ecological generalist, it occurs in turbid main river channels, minor tributaries and backwaters, and enters inundated zones during the annual floods. Best kept as a group in a large tank alongside cichlids, characins and catfishes, it may nip long or trailing fins and eat soft-leaved plants.

The chocolate talking catfish, Acanthodoras cataphractus, is a doradid catfish from the northern Amazon basin and Atlantic drainages of the Guianas. It is most often exported as bycatch among Platydoras armatulus and is sold under the same trade names as A. spinosissimus, which has pale blotches on the back between the dorsal and caudal fins where this species has pale lines or no markings. Largely nocturnal and gregarious, it is best kept in a group of at least four.

The Pantanal barracuda tetra, Acestrorhynchus pantaneiro, is a predatory acestrorhynchid from the Paraná, Uruguay and de la Plata basins. It also occurs in the rio Mamoré in Bolivia. A member of the A. lacustris group with a round humeral spot, it is virtually impossible to tell from its relatives in the trade unless collection data is known. It lives in open water, and a group must be of comparable size because acestrorhynchids are cannibalistic.

The spotted talking catfish, Agamyxis pectinifrons, is a doradid catfish from the Amazon basin in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia and Peru. Very common in the trade, it is hardy and relatively long-lived, and recommended to beginners and experienced aquarists alike despite its adult size. It closely resembles A. albomaculatus, known only from the Río Orinoco drainage in Venezuela, and the two are probably sold under the same trade names.

The manduba, Ageneiosus inermis, is a large auchenipterid catfish found throughout much of South America east of the Andes. At around 470 mm SL it would need an aquarium in excess of 400 x 120 cm as an adult and is largely unsuitable for private aquaria. An obligate carnivore, it can take surprisingly large prey, and the larger Ageneiosus species are often used as food fishes in their native countries.

The dawn tetra, Aphyocharax nattereri, is a small characid from southern Brazil, Bolivia and Paraguay. In the hobby it is usually called A. paraguayensis, a name considered a synonym of A. nattereri since 2003. Confusion remains, because the type locality of A. nattereri lies on the main Amazon channel, far from most confirmed localities. It is most often imported as a contaminant among shipments of other species.

The Corumbá dwarf cichlid, Apistogramma commbrae, is widespread in the Paraguay River watershed of Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil and Paraguay. One of the smallest members of the genus, it is told apart with the rest of the A. commbrae complex by a conspicuous double caudal peduncle spot. Its habitats cool seasonally to as low as 16 °C, and it should be kept cooler over winter.

The black ghost knifefish, Apteronotus albifrons, is a weakly electric knifefish from the upper half of South America, from Colombia to Paraguay. Usually sold at around 4 inches, it grows to 50 cm and needs a long-term housing plan. Its eyesight is very poor, and it navigates, finds prey and communicates using a weak electric field. In the wild it lives in swiftly flowing streams and rivers over sand.

The oscar, Astronotus ocellatus, is a large cichlid widely distributed in the Amazon region, recorded from Colombia and Venezuela south to Argentina. It grows to 350 mm SL and typically lives 10 to 20 years, both of which need taking into account before purchase. Most fish on sale come from commercial breeders in Eastern Europe or the Far East, in numerous ornamental strains, and genetic analyses suggest the genus contains additional, morphologically cryptic species.

The cupid cichlid, Biotodoma cupido, is a geophagine cichlid from much of the Amazon basin, north to the Essequibo in Guyana and south to Bolivia. Also traded as the 'green-streaked eartheater', it varies in colour pattern and shape by locality, and most traded fish come from around Santarém in Pará state. Unless breeding it is surprisingly peaceful. Its relatively compact body and a dark flank blotch above the upper lateral line separate it from B. wavrini.

The mosaic cory, Brochis haraldschultzi, long known as Corydoras haraldschultzi, is an armoured catfish endemic to the rio Guaporé (Río Iténez) in northeastern Bolivia and western Brazil. It resembles Hoplisoma sterbai but has a more extended snout and grows larger, to 85 mm SL. Its head carries dark vermiculations and spots on a light background, where H. sterbai has light markings on dark. The type locality was once modified to the rio Tocantins, well over 1000 km away, but the original Guaporé locality appears to be correct.

The leopard cory, Brochis leopardus, long known as Corydoras leopardus, is a spotted armoured catfish from the western Amazon basin in Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia and Brazil. It looks very like Hoplisoma julii and H. trilineatum, but has a longer, more pointed snout and grows larger. Dias et al. (2024) moved it to the genus Brochis and put the two lookalikes in Hoplisoma, so the resemblance does not reflect a close relationship. The type specimens were aquarium imports.

Brochis pantanalensis, long known as Corydoras pantanalensis, is an armoured catfish from the Bolivian part of the Pantanal wetland, also referred to by its C-number, C005. Its habitat is typified by crystal clear waters and an abundance of aquatic vegetation. Like other corys it is sensitive to dirty substrates and can lose its barbels in substandard conditions, and it should be kept in a group of at least six.

The red-tailed brycon, Brycon cephalus, is a large characid from the upper Amazon basin in Peru, Bolivia and Brazil, known in Brazil as the matrinxã. It migrates twice a year over large distances between nutrient-poor tributaries and silt-laden white water rivers, where it spawns. B. rubricauda and B. orbignyanus resemble it closely. An active, pelagic shoaling fish with sharp teeth, it grows to 220 mm SL and needs a very large, well-covered tank as it jumps.

The banjo catfish, Bunocephalus coracoideus, is an aspredinid catfish from Bolivia, Peru and Brazil. The most common member of its genus in dealers' tanks, it inhabits forest streams, lakes and ponds with a lot of leaf litter and is camouflaged to resemble a dead leaf. Largely inactive and secretive, it becomes active only after dark, and like other aspredinids it occasionally sheds its skin.

The pygmy hatchetfish, Carnegiella myersi, is a tiny freshwater hatchetfish from the Peruvian Amazon basin, with a second population in Bolivia. The smallest and most delicate of the nominal hatchetfishes, it has a shallower, rounded keel that gives it an elongate profile. It lives in small, shaded, shallow forest streams and must be kept in a group of at least six, away from active tankmates.

The marbled hatchetfish, Carnegiella strigata, is a hatchetfish from the Amazon and Orinoco basins and coastal rivers of Guyana and Suriname. Popular in the hobby, it is collected for the trade mostly in the rio Negro basin in Brazil. Its larger size and dark, marbled pattern set it apart from congeners, though the pattern varies and the wide range may be open to question. It appears to live only in blackwater.

The wimpel piranha, Catoprion mento, is a scale-eating fish from Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Brazil and Bolivia. Though not a true piranha, it resembles them and is quite closely related to Pygocentrus species. The common name comes from the German 'Wimpel' (banner), after the extensions to the leading dorsal-fin rays in mature fish. Adults are best housed alone, and it is sensitive to poor water quality and to swings in chemistry.

The blue whale catfish, Cetopsis coecutiens, is a cetopsid catfish from the Amazon, Tocantins and Orinoco river basins. In the wild it swims in voracious feeding groups, homing in on weakened fish by smell and burrowing into prey. It will bite chunks out of tankmates much bigger than itself, so it is best kept alone, and at up to 26.5 cm it needs a large tank with strong water flow and dim lighting.

The black pacu, Colossoma macropomum, is a very large serrasalmid from the Orinoco and Amazon basins in Colombia, Venezuela, Peru, Bolivia and Brazil. Known as the tambaqui in its native countries, it is the second largest scaled fish in the Amazon basin and easily capable of reaching 60 cm in captivity. It is regularly sold as a small juvenile, and releases of outgrown fish have led many wildlife authorities in the US to ban its sale. Wild stocks suffer from gross overfishing in many of its native waters.

Crenicara latruncularium is a South American cichlid from the Rio Guaporé in western Brazil and the Rio Mamoré in Bolivia. Fairly peaceful unless a pair is breeding, it can be kept with tetras, rasboras, small catfish and other small peaceful fish. Spawning takes place in a cave, and the female guards it and will drive away any fish that come near, including the male.

Cynodon gibbus is a cynodontid from much of the Amazon basin, the middle and lower Orinoco, and the Rupununi River in Guyana. A pelagic fish of main river channels and larger tributaries, it grows to around 280 mm SL. It is rare in the trade but arguably more suitable for the home aquarium than some of its better-known relatives, given its size and relatively docile behaviour. Being easily dominated, it is best kept alone or with similarly sized, non-aggressive fishes.

The Guaporé cory, Gastrodermus guapore, long known as Corydoras guapore, is an armoured catfish endemic to the rio Guaporé (Río Iténez) in northeastern Bolivia and western Brazil. Unlike most congeners it forms aggregations in midwater and spends much of its time away from the substrate, with a large eye, a more terminal mouth and a strongly forked caudal fin to match. It partly feeds on pelagic zooplankton, so live Daphnia and Artemia belong in its diet. Similar species such as Hoplisoma simile lack these adaptations.

The tail-spot pygmy cory, Gastrodermus hastatus, long known as Corydoras hastatus, is a tiny armoured catfish with a wide range across the Amazon and Río Paraguay basins. It is known from Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay and northeastern Argentina. Unlike most congeners it swims in midwater, forming mixed schools with similarly patterned small characids such as Serrapinnus kriegi. It is frequently confused with G. pygmaeus, but has a dark, roughly diamond-shaped spot on the caudal peduncle where G. pygmaeus has a dark lateral stripe.

Geophagus megasema is a cichlid from the upper rio Madeira basin, recorded from the Mamoré and Guaporé drainages in Bolivia and Brazil. Very rare in the aquarium hobby, it has been collected, bred and distributed by some private collectors. It has no dark preopercular or infraorbital markings, no bars on the flanks and a relatively large, roundish midlateral marking.

The Santa Cruz cory, Hoplisoma cruziense, long known as Corydoras cruziensis, is an armoured catfish from the Bolivian portion of the Río Madeira basin. The precise extent of its range is unclear and may include the Mamoré and Beni drainages. It is not well documented, but is said to differ from C. punctatus in having larger dark body markings, which form an irregular midlateral stripe in some specimens.

The palespotted cory, Hoplisoma gossei, long known as Corydoras gossei, is an armoured catfish from the rio Mamoré watershed in Rondônia state, northwestern Brazil. It is also likely to occur in northern Bolivia, since the Mamoré forms the border between the two countries at the type locality. Also known as 'smokey cory' and 'Gosse's cory', it shares its colour pattern with Brochis seussi from the same river, which has a noticeably prolonged snout. A form referred to as 'CW069' appears intermediate between the two.

The vampire tetra, Hydrolycus scomberoides, is a predatory dogtooth characin from the central and upper Amazon in Brazil, Bolivia, Peru and Ecuador. Also sold as 'scomb' and 'sabre tooth tetra', it is regularly confused with the much larger payara, H. armatus. At up to 300 mm it still needs a huge tank and specialist care, and newly-imported specimens often refuse anything but live food.

The black neon tetra, Hyphessobrycon herbertaxelrodi, is a characid from the upper rio Paraguai in Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. A ubiquitous aquarium fish since its discovery, it is produced commercially in several countries, so wild fish are no longer collected. It is widespread north and south of the Pantanal, favouring minor tributaries, headwater rivers, oxbows and seasonal floodplains.

The green line lizard tetra, Iguanodectes spilurus, is a characin found throughout the Amazon, Orinoco, Essequibo and Tocantins river systems. The most widespread Iguanodectes species, it has also been called the 'slender', 'spindle' or 'iguana' tetra, and differs from its congeners in its translucent dorsal and anal fins, lack of a red lateral stripe and prominent dark caudal-fin marking. It is sensitive to poor water conditions.

The striped headstander, Laemolyta taeniata, is an anostomid from the central Amazon basin, also recorded from the Orinoco system in Venezuela. The largest-growing member of the genus, to 288 mm SL, it is rarely seen in the aquarium trade. Something of a habitat generalist, it migrates into flooded forest in the wet season and has been seen in large migratory shoals with Leporinus fasciatus and L. agassizii. Water quality is of the utmost importance, and anostomids are prodigious jumpers.

The sturgeon catfish, Lamontichthys filamentosus, is a loricariid from the central and western Amazon in Brazil, Peru, Ecuador and Bolivia. Above 60 mm SL the pectoral-fin spine extends into a filament that can be over four times the length of the first branched ray, and the dorsal-fin spine carries a similar extension. Relatively common in the hobby but not easy to maintain, it needs clean, well-oxygenated water and a mature aquarium with plenty of algae-covered surfaces.

Leporellus vittatus is an anostomid with a huge natural range across the Amazon, Paraná-Paraguay, São Francisco and Orinoco river systems. Unlike most anostomids it is adapted to a benthic existence in flowing water and spends most of its time on or around the substrate. Occasionally exported, it requires quite specialised conditions, an aquarium of at least 210 by 60 cm and ideally a group of six or more.

The banded leporinus, Leporinus fasciatus, is an anostomid from the Amazon and Orinoco systems and coastal Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana. Young fish are often sold without warning of their size and requirements, and it is fairly ubiquitous in public aquarium displays. It is frequently confused with L. affinis, and its dark body bars multiply with age, from five in young fish to around ten in adults.

The threespot leporinus, Leporinus friderici, is an anostomid from much of the Amazon system, with further records from the Guianas and Trinidad. It grows to 350 to 400 mm and needs an aquarium with base dimensions of at least 240 by 90 cm. Across this enormous range the fish differ in morphology and, especially, colour pattern.

The red-finned pike cichlid, Lugubria johanna, is a large pike cichlid that ranges over much of northern South America. It is known from the Orinoco, Essequibo, Oyapock and Approuague basins among others, mostly in faster moving rivers and streams, and a number of colour forms have developed across its range. Growing to 30 cm, it can be aggressive, especially towards its own kind, and will eat any fish small enough to be considered food.

The serpae tetra, Megalamphodus eques, is a characid with an enormous range through much of the Amazon drainage and the Río Paraguay. Very common in the trade, it is also sold as the 'jewel', 'red minor', 'blood' or 'callistus' tetra, and ornamental strains include 'long-finned' and 'balloon' forms. It has a reputation for nipping the fins of tankmates, although this is most pronounced when too few are kept or space is limited.

The black phantom tetra, Megalamphodus megalopterus, is a characid from the upper rio Madeira and upper rio Paraguai in Bolivia and Brazil. Most records are from the rio Guaporé (Río Iténez in Bolivia). Popular in the hobby and bred commercially in several countries, it is also available as a 'long-finned' strain. Adult males have black fins with the pelvic, dorsal and anal enlarged, while females are deeper-bodied with reddish pelvic, anal and adipose fins.

The flag cichlid, Mesonauta festivus, is a cichlid recorded from Venezuela, Peru, Brazil, Bolivia and Paraguay. It lives in well planted, slower-moving waters. Flag cichlids are found in most aquatic stores, but the fish usually sold under the name is M. insignis. It is peaceful, but becomes more aggressive when breeding.

The spotted metynnis, Metynnis maculatus, is a silver dollar probably confined to the upper rio Madeira and upper rio Paraguai in Bolivia and Brazil. It is most often confused with M. argenteus and M. lippincottianus, but it has more midlateral scales and more spines on the ventral keel than either. It schools in nature and needs a very large tank with a group of six or more.

The Bolivian ram, Mikrogeophagus altispinosus, is a cichlid endemic to the upper rio Madeira basin in Bolivia and Brazil. Also traded as 'hi-fin ram' and 'Bolivian butterfly', it is larger and less colourful than M. ramirezi and lacks its blue iridescent markings, and it is arguably a better choice for less-experienced aquarists. A soft, sandy substrate is essential, and it needs pristine water quality.

The three-lined pencilfish, Nannostomus trifasciatus, is a lebiasinid widespread in the western Amazon basin in Brazil, Peru, Colombia and Bolivia. Fairly ubiquitous in the trade, it is less demanding than many congeners and a good choice for a newcomer to pencilfishes. Many fish on sale are farmed, and wild populations vary in colour pattern, one being marketed as 'super red' for its unusually long red stripe.

The one-lined pencilfish, Nannostomus unifasciatus, occurs in the upper Amazon and upper Orinoco basins in Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia and Venezuela. A popular aquarium fish, it swims at an oblique angle, a trait shared only with N. eques. It differs from that species in lacking dark brown spots on the body scales and normally having an ocellus in the upper caudal-fin lobe.

The bronze cory, Osteogaster aenea, long known as Corydoras aeneus, is an armoured catfish described from Trinidad and accepted to occur across much of South America. That range looks more like a complex of similar, distinct species than a single one, and fish from outside Trinidad are of uncertain identity. Aquarium fish are almost all commercially farmed, and the names C. schultzei and C. venezuelanus are routinely misapplied to them.

The red bellied piranha, Pygocentrus nattereri, occurs through much of the Amazon basin and south into the Paraná and Uruguay river systems. Famed as a rapacious predator, it is among the most notorious freshwater fishes in the world. According to Herbert Axelrod (1976), the myth began with a feeding frenzy staged for Theodore Roosevelt in Brazil in 1913. Usually only juveniles form aggregations, and the species is relatively easy to breed in the aquarium.

The demon eartheater, Satanoperca jurupari, is a cichlid recorded throughout much of the Amazon basin in Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador and Colombia. In aquarium literature it is frequently confused with S. leucosticta, which has prominent white spots or vermiform markings on the sides of the head. Its precise identity is a confusing issue, and populations from the Tapajós, Xingu, Araguaia and Paraná are genetically distinct and may represent separate species.

The Pantanal eartheater, Satanoperca pappaterra, is a cichlid from the rio Guaporé and upper rio Paraguai basins in Brazil, Bolivia and Paraguay. Relatively rare in the ornamental trade and much sought after, it is easily told from all known congeners by a series of prominent black blotches beneath the dorsal-fin and a well-defined dark band along the side of the body. It has been introduced to the upper rio Paraná in southeastern Brazil.

The spotfin hatchetfish, Thoracocharax stellatus, is the most widespread neotropical hatchetfish, recorded from much of South America. It is told from its only congener, T. securis, by a prominent dark spot in the dorsal fin, and is sometimes traded as 'platinum hatchetfish'. It feeds almost entirely on insects, and a tightly fitting cover is needed because it can clear several metres in one jump.

The saddle cichlid, Aequidens tetramerus, is a cichlid found across much of northern South America, from the Amazon and Orinoco basins to the Guianas. The type species of its genus, it occurs in several colour forms, and fish from Ecuador and Peru are sought after for the red or orange colouration on the lower head and belly. As currently recognised it is likely to represent a group of related fishes, some of which may be described as distinct species.

The Bolivia cichlid, Cichlasoma boliviense, is a cichlid from the Rio Mamoré, Rio Guaporé and Madre de Dios drainages of Bolivia and Peru. It lives in shallow pools and along slow-moving shorelines and grows to around 11 cm. Not commonly seen in the hobby, it is less aggressive than many Central American cichlids but suits only a community of medium to large fish, and it rearranges the decor to suit itself.

The blacktop cory, Corydoras acutus, is an armoured catfish from the upper Amazon basin in Brazil, Peru, Ecuador and possibly Bolivia. It can be confused with three similar fishes known as C024, C077 and C109. C024 and C109 occur thousands of kilometres outside its range, but C077 lives alongside it in the rio Abunã and is only known to differ in growing smaller. Some specimens lack the dark marking in the dorsal fin.

Corydoras aurofrenatus is an armoured catfish from the Río Paraguay-Paraná system in Paraguay, also recorded in Argentina and Bolivia. It has been traded as C. sp. 'Corrientes' and CW005. Each flank carries two dark blotches, one behind the head and one below the adipose fin, and the caudal-fin lobes are long with the upper more extended. C. ellisae has been treated as a junior synonym, although this appears not to have achieved wide acceptance.

The grass carp, Ctenopharyngodon idella, is a large cyprinid native to the Amur River system in eastern Russia and northeastern China. Adults typically reach 800 to 1200 mm, making it a wholly unsuitable aquarium subject, though an albino form is traded. Widely introduced for aquaculture and weed control, it has caused serious damage to natural waters, and unwanted fish should never be released.

Hoplisoma albolineatum (C056), long known as Corydoras albolineatus, is an armoured catfish from the Río Iténez, or Guaporé, system in Bolivia and Brazil. It has a wide white longitudinal band and unmarked fins, and may be confused with the deeper-bodied H. xinguense. In the wild it forms aggregations of up to several thousand over sandy substrates and sand banks. It is not common in the hobby but is available occasionally.

The tailspot cory, Hoplisoma caudimaculatum, long known as Corydoras caudimaculatus, is an armoured catfish endemic to the rio Guaporé (Iténez) drainage in western Brazil and Bolivia. A well-defined blackish spot on the caudal peduncle separates it from H. simile, in which the marking is a smudged bluish one. Gastrodermus guapore has a comparable pattern but a distinctly rounded snout, and tends to swim above the substrate.

The redbreast acara, Laetacara dorsigera, is a small cichlid from the Guaporé in Bolivia and Brazil, and the Paraná and Uruguay systems further south. Breeding males and females develop conspicuous red cheeks, opercula and belly, a feature L. curviceps lacks. A dark spot in the middle of the dorsal fin is shared only with L. curviceps and L. flamannellus. Populations vary in colour pattern, and it is a biparental substrate spawner growing to around 37 mm SL.

The giant Raphael catfish, Megalodoras uranoscopus, is a large doradid recorded from the Essequibo, Tocantins and Amazon river systems. It is also known in the US as the 'ripsaw catfish', and older literature often refers to it as M. irwini, now a junior synonym. Growing to 600 to 700 mm, it is very peaceful and can be combined with many other species in suitably sized systems.

The ripsaw catfish, Oxydoras niger, is a large doradid catfish from many of the major river systems of northern South America. Reaching 90 cm, it is only for the experienced fishkeeper and best suited to public aquaria. Much more peaceful than its common name suggests, it takes that name from the spines along the lateral line. It was previously referred to Pseudodoras niger.