Courantyne

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 duck catfish, Ageneiosus ucayalensis, is an auchenipterid catfish described from Peru and recorded across the Amazon, Orinoco and Guianas. Body patterning apparently varies with locality, and fish from black water habitats, particularly on the Guiana Shield, tend to be darker. Growing to around 290 mm SL and capable of taking large prey, it is safe only with similarly sized catfishes or large pelagic characins, mostly a combination for public aquaria.

Steindachner's apisto, Apistogramma steindachneri, is a dwarf cichlid from the Essequibo, Demerara and other river systems of Guyana and Suriname. It lives in slower-moving tributaries and streams with leaf litter and submerged wood. The form from the Demerara drainage carries the DATZ code A138, and a very similar fish from the Cuyuni basin in eastern Venezuela (A139) may or may not be conspecific.

The discus tetra, Brachychalcinus orbicularis, is a deep-bodied characid generally considered endemic to coastal watersheds of Guyana and Suriname. Recent records suggest it, or a similar congener, may also occur in the Orinoco and Negro drainages. The genus is often referred to collectively as 'silver dollar tetras', and although B. orbicularis is normally said to be the species in the trade, identification is challenging.

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 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 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.

Geophagus brachybranchus is a cichlid from the Nickerie and Courantyne drainages of Suriname, also reported from Guyana and Venezuela. Generally rare in the aquarium hobby, it appears to be one of the commoner species in Australia, where it is often called the 'black-throated eartheater'. The largest wild specimen recorded measured 138 mm, but it is known to reach 180 to 200 mm in captivity.

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 dwarf pencilfish, Nannostomus marginatus, is a lebiasinid of Guyana, Suriname and the middle-to-lower Amazon in Peru, Colombia and Brazil. Enduringly popular, it lacks the red body colour of males of the related N. mortenthaleri and N. rubrocaudatus, showing three dark lateral stripes with no red or purple between them. Colour varies between populations, and its small size and timid nature make it a poor community fish.

The whitespot eartheater, Satanoperca leucosticta, is a cichlid from the Guiana Shield in Guyana, Suriname, eastern Venezuela and northern Brazil. Farmed in several countries, it is frequently available in the ornamental trade. It is often confused with S. jurupari but is easily recognised by the prominent white spots or vermiform markings on the sides of the head. A larvophilous maternal mouthbrooder, it has been bred 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.

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 blackstripe cory, Hoplisoma bondi, long known as Corydoras bondi, is an armoured catfish from Venezuela, Guyana and Suriname, including the Essequibo and Courantyne systems. It was once considered common in the hobby, but many fish traded under the name may be the similar H. sipaliwini or H. coppenamense. H. sipaliwini has larger body spots and a dark marking on the first dorsal-fin rays, while H. coppenamense is more orangish.