French Guiana

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 red-tailed freshwater barracuda, Acestrorhynchus falcatus, is a predatory acestrorhynchid from the northern Amazon and Orinoco basins. It also occurs in coastal rivers of Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana. Its large humeral spot, shaped like an inverted tear drop, separates it from other Acestrorhynchus. Reaching 250 to 275 mm, it needs plenty of open water, and a group must be of comparable size because acestrorhynchids are cannibalistic.

The big-eyed cachorro, Acestrorhynchus falcirostris, is a large predatory acestrorhynchid from northern Amazon drainages and the Orinoco. The two dark body stripes of the A. nasutus group appear only in its juveniles, and at 320 to 350 mm SL it grows far larger than the other members. A black fringe to the rear of the operculum gives it a 'collared' look. It needs open water, and a group must be of comparable size because acestrorhynchids are cannibalistic.

The pike tetra, Acestrorhynchus microlepis, is a predatory acestrorhynchid from northern Amazon drainages and the Orinoco. It also occurs in coastal rivers of Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana. A member of the A. microlepis group, it has a small blackish spot behind the gill cover and is separable from the very similar A. grandoculis only by counts. It tends to take smaller prey such as tetras, and acestrorhynchids are cannibalistic, so a group must be of comparable size.

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 four-eyed fish, Anableps anableps, is a viviparous fish of brackish mangrove coasts in north-eastern South America, from Venezuela to Brazil. Each eye is split horizontally, with two corneas and two pupils, so it can see above and below the water at the same time. It moves in and out with the tides, and in aquaria it needs brackish water, shallow depth and a large surface area, with a group of at least six in a tank no smaller than 150 x 45 cm.

The gold-striped headstander, Anostomus ternetzi, is an anostomid from the Río Orinoco system and coastal Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana. It lives in rocky areas at the edge of fast-flowing rivers and streams, grazing algae and small invertebrates. Like A. anostomus, it is quarrelsome with conspecifics when only a few are kept. Its distribution in Brazil is unclear, with patchy records from the Araguaia and Xingu basins.

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 two spot astyanax, Astyanax bimaculatus, is a characid ranging from Panama through most of the Amazon and Orinoco basins. It lives in a wide variety of biotopes, from swiftly-flowing rivers and streams to ponds, ditches and reservoirs. The name is currently applied to what is considered a species complex of at least four taxa, and aquarium fish most often arrive as contaminants among shipments of other species.

Leopold's tetra, Astyanax leopoldi, is a characid native to the Approuague and Oyapock river basins in French Guiana and Brazil. It is most common in fast-flowing waters, where it swims in large shoals in marginal or calmer areas. Like most Astyanax, it is rarely offered for sale.

The glass tetra, Bario oligolepis, is a characin from northern South America, with populations in Venezuela, the Guianas, Peru and Brazil. One of a handful of species that closely resemble the red-eye tetra, it is seen much less often in the hobby and is also known as the glassy tetra. It inhabits slow-moving rivers, tributaries and floodplain lakes. Very peaceful, it does not compete well with boisterous or much larger tankmates.

Brochis condiscipulus, long known as Corydoras condiscipulus, is an armoured catfish native to the Oyapock (Oiapoque) river system in French Guiana and Amapá state, Brazil. It often occurs alongside the similar-looking Hoplisoma oiapoquense, from which it differs in its larger adult size, narrower body, shorter pectoral spine and longer snout.

The pink-tailed chalceus, Chalceus macrolepidotus, is a large characin found throughout northern South America, from Colombia to French Guiana. It inhabits the surface layers of highly oxygenated rivers. Its very large scales tend to fall off during transport, so new imports can be delicate, though once acclimatised it usually proves fairly hardy. It does best singly or in a group of more than six, since smaller groups tend to scrap.

The keyhole cichlid, Cleithracara maronii, is a small cichlid from French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname, the Orinoco delta in Venezuela and Trinidad. It is told apart from relatives by the keyhole-shaped marking on each side of the body, and is one of few fishes whose generic name derives from its aquarium common name. It inhabits slow-moving blackwater streams, is naturally shy and sensitive to deteriorating water quality, and most fish on sale are commercially farmed.

The banded puffer, Colomesus psittacus, is a large puffer of coastal waters from Colombia and Venezuela through the Guianas to northeastern Brazil. It also occurs in Trinidad and Tobago and the Caribbean islands, and inhabits mangrove swamps, estuaries and the lower reaches of rivers. Growing to 290 mm SL, it is the largest of its genus and has six dark bands across the back. Likely to prove aggressive in all but the largest systems, it is not a popular aquarium fish.

Copella carsevennensis is a small lebiasinid from coastal river systems in Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana and Amapá state, Brazil. It appears in the trade from time to time among wild-caught fishes from the Guianas. Zarske (2011) separated it from C. arnoldi, partly because it lays its eggs among submerged vegetation and not out of the water, though Mol (2012) considers the two synonymous.

The sailfin characin, Crenuchus spilurus, is a crenuchid from much of the Amazon and Orinoco drainages and coastal rivers of the Guianas. The only described member of its genus, it varies considerably in colour pattern and morphology across that range. It lives in tea-stained forest streams, and its timid, predominantly benthic nature means it does not always make an ideal community fish. Males guard eggs laid on the roof of a small cave, often formed from leaf litter.

The common hatchetfish (Gasteropelecus sternicla) is a freshwater hatchetfish from South America, described from Suriname. Its distribution is questionable, with records from the middle Amazon, Venezuela, Guyana, French Guiana and the Río Paraguay basin. It spends almost all of its time at or just below the surface. The most frequently seen of the silver hatchetfishes, it is peaceful but nervous and shy.

The Oiapoque eartheater, Geophagus camopiensis, is a cichlid from the Oyapock basin on the Brazil and French Guiana border and the Approuague. Poorly known in the hobby, it is occasionally available through specialist breeders and retailers. A low E1 scale count and usually seven anal-fin rays are shared only with G. parnaibae, which may indicate a close relationship. A larger lateral marking and light caudal-fin spots separate the two.

The yellow phantom tetra, Hyphessobrycon roseus, is a small characid from Suriname, French Guiana and the Brazilian bank of the Oyapock/Oiapoque. Although popular in the hobby, its identity is somewhat confused, and two colour forms have been traded. It inhabits forest tributaries and igarapés with acidic, brownish water, sandy substrates and leaf litter.

The false x-ray tetra, Hyphessobrycon simulatus, is a characid endemic to French Guiana, from the Maroni to the Oyapock/Oiapoque river basins. Uncommon in the trade, it was originally described in the genus Pseudopristella. It is told from Pristella maxillaris by a larger humeral spot and black in the anal fin limited to the first ray.

The lipstick leporinus, Leporinus arcus, is an anostomid from the Orinoco, Essequibo and upper Courantyne basins in Venezuela and the Guianas. It grows to 250 to 300 mm and needs an aquarium with base dimensions of at least 210 by 60 cm.

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.

Metynnis lippincottianus is a spotted silver dollar from Brazil and French Guiana, found in the lower and middle Amazon and the Oyapock system. It is occasionally seen for sale, sometimes as 'silver dollar', and its spotted pattern tells it apart from M. argenteus and M. hypsauchen. The spots are less pronounced than in M. maculatus, with which it shares a common name. The precise extent of its range is unclear.

The golden pencilfish, Nannostomus beckfordi, is a lebiasinid widely distributed across Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, Brazil and Venezuela. The type species of the genus and fairly ubiquitous in the trade, it is less demanding than most congeners and a good choice for a newcomer. Many fish on sale are farmed, and wild populations vary in colour pattern, several having been described as species now considered synonyms of N. beckfordi.

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 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.

Satanoperca rhynchitis is an eartheater cichlid known only from the Oyapock, Approuague and other river systems of French Guiana. Previously referred to S. jurupari, it was known in the trade as S. sp. 'red lips', and live adults have red lips. Red-lipped fish from Amapá in Brazil appear intermediate between the two, and whether they are hybrids, a distinct species or part of a cline is still unclear.

The white-spotted pike cichlid, Saxatilia albopunctata, is a pike cichlid from Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana. Its range runs from the Demerara to the Approuague, in slow-moving forest streams, tributaries and pools over sandy substrates, dimly lit by overhanging vegetation. An aggressive species, it can be kept with other large cichlids or on its own, and it grows to about 20 cm, though usually no more than 15 cm in aquaria.

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.

Boulengerella cuvieri is a pelagic ctenoluciid characin from much of the Amazon basin, the Río Orinoco and coastal drainages of the Guianas. The largest officially recorded specimen measured 675 mm, but it appears to grow larger, possibly beyond 800 mm. Given that size and its natural behaviour it is largely unsuitable for the home aquarium. Its entire dorsal-fin base lies ahead of the anal-fin origin, a character shared only with B. lucius and B. xyrekes among ctenoluciids.

The piraíba, Brachyplatystoma filamentosum, is the largest catfish of the Amazon basin, also found in the Orinoco and river systems of the Guianas. Adults typically measure 2 to 2.5 m and weigh over 150 kg. In the Amazon only fish over around 160 cm are called 'Piraíba', and smaller ones 'filhote'. It is suitable only for public aquaria and a very small minority of private aquarists.

The dourada, Brachyplatystoma rousseauxii, is a large migratory pimelodid catfish from the Amazon and Orinoco drainages and rivers of the Guianas. Juveniles feed in the Amazon delta, while sexually mature adults are found only in the western Amazon. Some populations cover as much as 5500 km during migration from the delta, the longest known in any freshwater fish, and it is heavily fished during its upstream movement. It grows to 1900 mm SL.

The piramutaba, Brachyplatystoma vaillantii, is a large migratory pimelodid catfish from the Amazon and Orinoco watersheds and rivers of the Guianas. Juveniles feed in the Amazon delta before migrating upstream in massive numbers, when they are subject to intensive capture by commercial and artisanal fisheries. Sexually mature adults have been observed in the rio Caquetá basin, some 3500 km from the estuary. It grows to 1050 mm SL.

The tucanare peacock bass, Cichla monoculus, is a large predatory cichlid from Colombia, French Guiana, Peru and Brazil, including the Rio Solimões. Often sold as small juveniles, it grows to around 80 cm and needs a tank of at least 10 x 3 x 4 feet as an adult, so it is more suited to public aquaria. It is territorial and moderately aggressive and will eat any tankmate small enough to be considered food.

The peacock bass, Cichla ocellaris, is a large predatory cichlid native to Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana and Brazil. Introduced populations exist in several countries, including Singapore and the USA. Often sold as small juveniles, it grows to around 75 cm and needs a tank of at least 10 x 3 x 4 feet as an adult, and it will eat any tankmate small enough to be considered food.

The silver arowana, Osteoglossum bicirrhosum, is a large predator from the Amazon basin, plus river systems in Guyana and French Guiana. Reaching 80 cm, it is largely unsuitable for the home aquarium, and although juveniles are readily available, few private aquarists can house an adult long-term. Juveniles have a single dark lateral stripe, while in those of its only congener, O. ferreirai, most of the body and fins are dark.

Hyphessobrycon borealis is a small characid from French Guiana, recorded from the Oyapock/Oiapoque to the Maroni river systems. It inhabits shallow marginal zones with little current, where it forms large schools. The largest recorded specimen measured 27.8 mm, and the species lacks a humeral spot but has an oval spot on the caudal peduncle.

The giant bumblebee catfish, Pseudopimelodus bufonius, is distributed throughout northeastern South America, from Venezuela to eastern Brazil. Its range extends from the Lake Maracaibo basin, and it grows to 245 mm SL. The type locality is uncertain but probably Cayenne, French Guiana.