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This species is among the few members of the family to have been exported for the aquarium hobby. It can be differentiated from all other Akysis species by the following combination of characters: head length 17.7-26.5% of standard length (SL); head width 25.4-28.7% SL; body depth at anus 13.0-17.0% SL; caudal peduncle depth 8.1-10.1% SL; interorbital di...

This species is among the few members of the family to have been exported for the aquarium hobby. It can be differentiated from all other Akysis species by the following combination of characters: base of...

This species has been exported for the aquarium hobby and ranks among the smaller members of the family. It can be differentiated from all other Akysis species by the following combination of characters: head length 22.0-28.6% of standard length (SL); caudal peduncle depth 8.8-10.7% of SL; anal-fin base length 15.2-19.1% of SL; eye diameter 12-16% of head length (HL); nasal barbel length 57 92% of HL; posession of 3-4 serrae on the posterior edge ofspine; body patterning mottled with indistinct ...

This species is among the few members of the family to have been exported for the aquarium hobby. It can be differentiated from all other Akysis species by the following combination of characters: base ofmeasures 17.1-19.2% of standard length (S...

This species is among the few members of the family to be exported for the aquarium hobby though is by no means common. It can be differentiated from a...

This species has been exported for the aquarium hobby on an extremely limited basis. It can be differentiated from all other Akysis species by the following combination of characters: head length 27.6–29.8% of standard length (SL); head width 21.9–25.1% SL; caudal peduncle depth 9.4–10.3% SL; length ofbase 23.0–25.2% SL; nasal barbel len...

This species is among the smaller members of the family. It can be differentiated from all other Akysis species by the following combination of characters: caudal peduncle length 16.1-19.8% of standard length (SL); caudal peduncle depth 6.5-9.3% SL; length of adipose-fin base 25.6-29.5% SL; interorbital distance 42.0-46.0% of head length (HL), eye diameter 13.0-20.0% HL; length of nasal barbel 44.0-66.0% HL; lateral margins of the head appear straight when viewed from above; possession of 0-5 se...

This species is among the few members of the family to be exported for the aquarium hobby and we've also seen it on sale under various names such as 'orange-banded stone catfish', 'orange micro bumblebee catfish', 'Burmese orange mini bee catfish' or more simply 'wasp catfish'. Though the majority of forms are yellowish to orange in colouration there appears to exist a bright red variant which to date we've only seen in photos.

This species is exceptionally rare in the aquarium trade and can be distinguished from congeners by the following combination of characters: snout narrow with head appearing triangular as a resul...

This cichlid is a true wonder of nature. It lives in a soda lake which is full of hot, alkaline springs. The water contains a high concentration of sodium carbonate and other dissolved minerals and salts. The water conditions in the lake are typically pH 9.5-10.5, kH 7000+ and temperature 90-110°F! The water also has a sg reading of 1.2+ and is very shallow, having a maximum depth of only 2 metres. The fish can be acclimatised to more 'normal' conditions but the pH should not be al...

This species is a true wonder of nature. It lives in a soda lake which is full of hot, alkaline springs. The water contains a high concentration of sodium carbonate and other dissolved minerals and salts. The water conditions in the lake are typically pH 9.5-10.5, kH 7000+ and temperature 90-110°F! The water also has a sg reading of 1.2+ and is very shallow, having a maximum depth of only 3 metres. It can be acclimatised to more 'normal' conditions but the pH should not be allowed ...

This species is sometimes traded as 'cherry red Congo tetra' or 'super red Congo tetra' and has also been referred to using the misapplied names Alestopetersius nigropterus (a valid congener) and A. ansorgii (a synonym of Nannopetersius ansorgii).

This species is also traded as 'yellow-finned', 'yellowtail' or 'blue Congo' tetra and is occasionally bred on a commercial basis, although not on a scale comparable to its better-known relative Phenacogrammus interruptus. No recent key to the genus exists but based on Géry (1977) and images in Mbimbi Mayi Munene and Stiassny (2012) it can be told apart from congeners by a combination of: extended median caudal-fin rays in adult males; absence of prominent dar...

This fish is normally traded as A. nigropterus or A. cf. ansorgii although neither appears to be its correct name meaning it remains unidentified at present. A. nigropterus is a valid congener that is not in the aquarium trade with little to no export from Lake Mai-Ndombe, to which it is endemic, while A. ansorgii is a synonym of Nannopetersius ansorgii.

This species appears to be restricted to the Imo and Niger drainages in Nigeria but the full extent of its distribution is unclear. Type locality is 'Aba, Lower Niger, Nigeria', corresponding to the city of Aba in Abia state, southern Nigeria which lies on the Aba River, a tributary of the Imo. Nigeria has lost 95 % of its original rainforest cover, num...

This is an exceptionally hardy and adaptable species. It's not an especially common fish in stores, but is quite widely available in hobbyist circles. The common name arises from the row of modified, paired scales that form a keel running from the base of theto the caudal fin....

This species is relatively common in the aquarium hobby but contrary to popular belief is not venomous in any way. Its dorsal and opercular spines can pierce the skin, however, meaning extreme caution is necessary when netting it or performing aquarium maintenance. The genus Allenbatrachus was erected in 1997 to accom...

A. calvus is a predator by nature and its body shape has been adapted to allow it to enter small crevices and gaps in the rockwork of Lake Tanganyika to prey on eggs, fry and small fish. Its laterally compressed shape makes the fish hard to spot head on, giving it an advantage over would be predators and prey alike. It is also quite well-armoured, possessing thick scales which can be turned towards potential attackers. These can cause real damage with their serrated edges. Several colour form...

This species varies in colour pattern depending on locality. Some of them are sold under several such names with the variant from Kigoma being known variously as A. compressiceps "Kigoma red", "Kigoma red fin", "Kigoma orange top" or "firefin" for example. The different populations should ideally be kept apart in aquaria and clearly labelled with collection locality in order to avoid hybridisation. Forms popular in the aquarium hobby include: - &quo...

A hugely popular and very adaptable species, the convict is one of the most ubiquitous fish in the hobby. It is often referred to by synonyms such as Cryptoheros nigrofasciatus and Cichlasoma nigrofasciatus. It's difficult to know how much to recommend it to the beginner, as despite its hardiness and ease of breeding, it's not really a community fish. However, if you want to breed a species and witness some amazing parental behaviour, it's an unreserved recommendation. It now exis...