Results for “common name”

Metynnis lippincottianus is occasionally seen for sale, sometimes under the name of "Silver Dollar". It is easily distinguishable from m. argenteus and m. hypsauchen (which are more commonly sold as Silver Dollars) by its spotted pattern, hence the common name. M. lippincottianus shares a common name with m. maculatus but the two can be distinguished as the spots on m. maculatus are more pronounced. Silver dollars are common and popular fish in the hobby. They are related to piranh...

G. niloticus is the only species in its genus and is utterly unique. Unlike other knifefish it has an extended dorsal rather thangiving rise to the alternative common name of upside-down knifefish. Despite this common name, it is actually more closely related to the Mormyrid group of species. It is a truly beautiful sight in motion despite its lack of bright colours, as it can move in virtually any direction with ease using its undulatingto 'steer'. It also produces a weak electrical d...

This species can be told apart from relatives by the characteristic 'keyhole' shaped marking on each side of the body. It's one of few fishes in which the current generic name is derived from the common name popularised in the aquarium hobby with 'Cleithracara' a combination of the Greek kleithron, meaning lock, and, acará, the Guaraní word for cichlids.

This species is ubiquitous in most dealers' tanks and is one of the best choices for the newcomer to fishkeeping. All the fish sold in the trade have been captive bred and as such are unfussy regarding water chemistry and diet. The intense black colouration of juveniles does fade as they grow, but adult fish provide a subtle contrast to most other commonly kept species. It goes by several common names, including 'butterfly tetra', 'black skirt tetra' and simply '...

A gentle giant ideal for the larger community of Malawi cichlids, this species was formerly named Haplochromis moorii. It is occasionally referred to by the common name, "Humphead Mouthbrooder". In nature, it exhibits an interesting feeding behaviour in which it will be attracted to clouds of sand thrown up by the activity of substrate-sifting species such as Fossorochromis rostratus or Taeniolethrinops praeorbitalis. Shoals of C. moorii will follow these species and feast on any mo...

This species can be exceptionally long-lived and there are reports of specimens surviving in aquaria for over 30 years. It is named after the explorer Mary Kingsley, and often goes by the common name of Kingsley's climbing perch. While Ctenopoma are closely related to the Asian climbing perch (Anabas sp.), they are not known to have the ability to cross areas of land like this species. Like others in the suborder Anabantoidei, the species possesses an accessory breathing organ known as t...

This species has been in the aquarium trade since the early 1970s but its precise origin was a mystery until 2003. It first appeared in Ukraine, the common name 'Odessa' being derived from the port city of that name, and when it arrived in western Europe was widely considered a hybrid of similar-looking congeners such as P. conchonius, P. ticto and P. cumingii. It was also hypothesised as a subspecies of P. ticto or P. conchonius, and some suggested the fish to be artificially dyed.

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....

There are only three species in the genus Thayeria, of which T. boehlkei is by far the most popular in the hobby. Of its congeners, it was the type species T. obliqua that was originally given the common name of "penguin" fish or tetra, although T. boehlkei is usually sold under the same name (we've also seen it on sale as "hockeystick" tetra). The two are easy to tell apart, as in T. boehlkei the thick black stripe extending from the lower lobe of the travels laterally ...

In much of the literature this species is pictured with the invalid name R. paviei, due to an issue with spelling which was corrected by Kottelat (2005), and the common name 'sidestripe rasbora' although the latter has yet to find popularity in the aquarium hobby. There are a number of similar-looking species including R. sumatrana, R. hobelmani and R. laticlavia and it can be problematic to separate members of this 'group'. If the collection locality of the fish is known ide...

This species is traded under several names of which others include 'Samurai gourami' and 'Samurai Zebra Chocolate Gourami'. Though the former of these is arguably the most common, these names are potentially misleading since the fish is neither especially combative nor from Japan. Its unique colour pattern makes it difficult to confuse with any of the three other members of the genus even in the abse...

This 'species' was only discovered in 1995, and remains undescribed to science. The common name 'perlmutt' is the German word for 'mother of pearl', and refers to the beautiful pearly white colouration of adult fish. It's sometimes sold with the alternative trade name of Labidochromis sp. 'yellow bar'. Konings has hypothesised that the Mbamba Bay Island population so closely resembles L. caeruleus that it may turn out to be a geographical variant o...

This species is somewhat variable in appearance and can have between 1-3 dark lateral stripes on each flank, for example. It's also known by the alternative common name 'pink corydoras'. It looks similar to the congener C. loxozonus plus unidentified fishes which have been assigned the codes C003 and CW021, and all four are sometimes traded under the fabricated names C. 'deckeri' or C. sp. 'decker/deker'.

This is one of two species sold with the common/trade name of "tinfoil barb", the other being the more widely-recognised B. schwanenfeldii. Despite this it appears that B. altus is just as widely available as B. schwanenfeldii and in many cases is seen on sale more regularly. Unfortunately both are usually offered at a small size (usually around 2 - 3"/5 - 7.5cm) with little to no information regarding the eventual size of the fish. Although B. altus is the ...

This species' common name is derived from the tradition of keeping the fish in order to fight against each other in organised 'bouts' upon which participants and onlookers place wagers. It has been extensively line-bred for vigour, strength, and the ornamental trade, and hybridised with the congeners B. imbellis, B. smaragdina, and B. mahachaiensis.

An incredibly hardy species, the walking catfish is tolerant of a very wide range of water chemistry and temperature. It can also survive in oxygen-depleted conditions due to its ability to breathe atmospheric air. In fact, it is thought that the fish can literally drown if deprived access to the water surface for long enough. The common name is derived from its natural ability to move across land using its stiff pectoral spines, provided it stays damp. It has special mucous-producing pores ...

In aquarium literature this species is also referred to as 'fine scaled tiger fish', 'Indonesian tiger fish', 'Sumatran tiger fish', 'Indo datnoid', and 'Indo dat'. The common name of 'tiger fish' is also used in reference to the African alestid genus Hydrocynus, and the more appropriate 'tiger perch' was suggested by Roberts and Kottelat (1994).

Halfbeaks derive their common name from the elongated lower jaw shared by all species. The 'wrestling' moniker given to this particular species is due to the tendency of males to fight with each other, often locking jaws in the process. It is used as a fighting fish in some of its native countries, with wagers being placed on the outcome of fights between males. The two fish are placed in a small container for fighting purposes, as they will spar incessantly in such confined conditions...

D. compressiceps is an ambush predator in nature, its laterally compressed shape and head-down hunting position allowing it to remain hidden among Vallisneria beds and making it tricky to spot in open water. It has a dark stripe running from the snout along the back to the tail which serves to provide further camouflage. Despite its common name, it does not prey solely on the eyes of other species, preferring to hunt small fish (particularly juvenile Copadichromis sp.). It swallows these tai...

This delightful little species can be distinguished from others in the genus by its elongated pectoral spines. It, and others in the genus (and also the closely related genus Erithistes), also go by the common name of moth catfish due to their patterning and shape when viewed from above....