Every species

This species is available in many different colour forms and varieties, all of which have been selectively bred for the aquarium trade. These are seen much more often than the natural form, which is the blue-grey three spotted fish. They include gold, opaline, cosby, marbled and silver forms. T. trichopterus is one of the hardiest fish commonly available in the trade and can adapt to many different water conditions. However it is recommended to the beginner with reservations regarding it's ...

It can be distinguished from congeners by its small adult size and presence of a single solid dark midlateral stripe on the body, above which is a series of dark blotches forming a second stripe. In the similar but larger, T. schalleri the upper stripe is more variable depending on the mood of the fish, sometimes fading entirely.

Known from the lower Mekong River basin in Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam, plus tributaries of the Chao Phraya watershed in central Thailand, and drainages between the Chao Phraya and Mekong in eastern Thailand. Type locality is 'Nam-Mun at Korat, 135 miles northeast of Bangkok, Thailand'.

The common name is derived from the ability of genus members to produce audible sounds via a specialised pectoral mechanism which is unique within the family Osphronemidae. The structure comprises modified pectoral-fin tendons and muscles which are stretched and plucked by basal elevations of two fin rays in a similar way to guitar strings via rapid beating of the fins. The pectoral-fins beat alternately, each able to generate short or long bursts of sound. These sounds are produced by both sexes, predom...

This species occurs in several colour forms depending on collection locality with some exhibiting more intense pigmentation in the fins or an additional reddish lateral stripe, for example. It's sometimes said to closely resemble and occur sympatrically with Rasbora agilis, but that name is currently considered a junior synonym of the congener Trigonopoma pauciperforatum. R. agilis had previously been us...

This species is also sold as the 'redline' rasbora which is something of a misnomer as in reality the colour of the lateral stripe that gives rise to the name can vary from deep orange to golden depending upon the collection locality of the fish as well as diet, condition, and even mood. Some specimens also have a second, darkish stripe beneath the other which seems to vary in length and intensity depending on a similar array of factors. Older fish tend to possess a greater degree of black edging to the scales, especially in the ventral portion of the body.

This species is very peaceful indeed making it an ideal resident of the well-maintained community tank. As it places no extreme demands in terms of water chemistry it can be combined with many of the most popular fish in the hobby including other small cyprinids as well as tetras, livebearers, dwarf cichlids, catfishes, and loaches. As always when selecting a compatible community of fish thorough research is essential and its small adult size must be a consideration, however.

T. hengeli is sometimes seen for sale with the trade name of 'glowlight rasbora' due to the distinctive orange patterning on the posterior part of the body but we've refrained from using that name here because it's also commonly applied to Trigonopoma pauciperforatum. It can be confused with the similar-looking T. heteromorpha and T. espei although on close inspection they're actually quite easy to tell...

T. heteromorpha was first exported for aquaria in the early 1900s and has gone on to become one of the most familiar, enduring species in the hobby. It has suffered as a result of its popularity to a certain extent with the mass-produced fish we see today lacking much of the colour seen in wild specimens and even exhibiting morphological deformities in some cases. Several selectively-bred ornamental strains have also...

T. somphongsi is exceptionally rare both in nature and the hobby and was considered potentially extinct for around a dozen years before a trio were imported to Germany as contaminants among a batch of Boraras urophthalmoides in 2006. Since then it has been successfully bred and distributed to various experts, mostly in Thailand and Germany, in the hope of establishing a sustainable captive population. The possibility of a...

An attractive but not often seen species in the hobby. This is quite odd considering how common it is in many of its native habitats, where it is known as sardina. It has very strong pectoral muscles, and uses these to jump from the water to catch flying insects or to escape potential predators. It can make leaps of several metres in length....

This species is not often available and is much sought after in the aquarium hobby where it's been traded as 'crystal rainbow tetra' and 'orange-tailed glass tetra'. It's also been referred to as a Heterocharax or Tyttocharax species in the past. It's currently the only member of its genus which is separated fr...

Like others in the genus, Tropheus brichardi is something of an enigma in the aquarium hobby, and is not a good species for the beginner. There has been much arguement and discussion about how best to maintain it in the aquarium, and some of these debates still rage on. We have provided the generally accepted method of keeping the fish, but in reality what works for one aquarist may not for another. One aspect which is always true is that water quality is of the utmost importance in a Tropheus t...

Like others in the genus, Tropheus duboisi is something of an enigma in the aquarium hobby and despite it's popularity, is not a good species for the beginner. There has been much arguement and discussion about how best to maintain it in the aquarium, and some of these debates still rage on. We have provided the generally accepted method of keeping the fish, but in reality what works for one aquarist may not for another. One aspect which is always true, is that water quality is of the utmos...

Like others in the genus, Tropheus moorii is something of an enigma in the aquarium hobby, and despite it's popularity is not a good species for the beginner. There has been much arguement and discussion about how best to maintain it in the aquarium, and some of these debates still rage on. We have provided the generally accepted method of keeping the fish, but in reality what works for one aquarist may not for another. One aspect which is always true, is that water quality is of the utmost...

Known only from the rio Uaupés system in Brazil with type locality 'brook emptying into Igarape Yavuari River, tributary of River Uaupés, upper Negro River basin, 0°14'31"N, 68°03'48"W, Amazonas, Brazil'. The full extent of its range is unclear but additional populations may exist.

T. macrostoma is an ambush predator in nature, lurking behind rocks and in crevices as it stalks its prey. It is rarely seen in the hobby and is usually quite expensive. Juveniles are easily confused with the similar T. nigriventer, but are easily distinguished when adult, as nigriventer does not develop the dark belly of macrostoma. Interestingly, this species exhibits reverse countershading, as also seen in the common Upside-down catfish, Synodontis nigriventris. This means that unlike the...

A large, peaceful South American cichlid. Uaru can make very interesting aquarium subjects. They require clean, well filtered water on the higher end of the temprature scale. Avoid keeping with overly aggressive fish, Uaru are happiest when kept in groups or pairs....

This species is traded under various names including 'chocolate scissor-tailed loach', chocolate long-finned loach', 'red line cobra loach', 'spiny eel loach' and 'dragon loach'. It's apparently difficult to find in its natural habitats and thus time-consuming to collect, meaning it's rarely traded in numbers, sought after by enthusiasts and tends to carry a relatively high price tag when available. The genus currently contains just three...

Vanmanenia hainanensis