South America

1.      Uaru (Uaru amphiacanthoides)

·         There are two species but this is the most common

·         Found in the Amazon River Basin, likes warm waters around 81-84 degrees

·         Normal adult coloration is greenish brown with a black stripe on the side. Spawning makes the colors better. They get almost all black with a little brown and their eyes turn a coppery red like a light has been turned on inside their head

·         Found abundantly in the wild but not exported for the hobby because they are more popular for eating

·         Are incredibly fast growers

·         Fry eat slime off parents but are not dependent on it like Discus fry

2.      Carpintis (Hericthys carpintis)

·         Native to Mexico

·         The Green Texas Cichlid. Closely related to the Texas Cichlid. Will interbreed. This fish has larger spots and does not grow as large, about 8 inches, as the more common Texas Cichlid

·         Found in many different types of water conditions so it is highly adaptable

·         These fish are great parents

·         More of an open water swimmer, so they will not sit in their cave all day

3.      Golden Pencilfish (Nannostomus beckfordi)

·         Varies in color depending on the geographical location it originated from

·         Found in thickets of shallow vegetation in creeks and streams

·         Best kept in schools

·         Unlike other Pencilfish, these can be kept with more lively fish

·         Needs a well-planted tank with some top floating plants to diffuse the light. Fill with dark gravel and dark colors

·         PH 6-7.5 and temp 72-81 degrees

Africa

1.      Kyoga Flameback (Xystichromis “Kyoga Flameback”)

·         Found in Lake Nawampassa, a lake north of Lake Victoria that is part of the Kyoga Basin/ Victorian Nile drainage system

·         Males are more colorful with a mix of green, yellow and red

·         PH 7.2-8.6 but best at 8

·         This fish is on the IUCN list as endangered due to pollution and the introduction of the Nile Perch

·         Only get about 5 inches

·         Does not mix well with Mbuna or Pundamilla because the Kyoga are not aggressive enough

2.      Ropefish (Erpetoichthys calabaricus)

·         They do best in groups of 5 or 6

·         Gouramis and Pike Cichlids make good tank mates. Smaller fish will get eaten. Faster fish will eat all the food. Aggressive fish will bully the Ropefish

·         Nocturnal predator that really likes to spend it’s days in caves

·         Has not been bred in captivity yet

·         75-80 degrees is ideal temperature

3.      African Butterflyfish (Pantodon buchholzi)

·         A predator with a reasonably sized mouth

·         A surface dweller so it needs plenty of open space with a little floating vegetation and a tight fitting lid to prevent jumping out

·         Eats all manner of floating insects in the wild, and will accept most prepared food

·         Reach about 4 inches in size

·         The rear edge of the anal fin of the male describes a convex curve and the fin rays form a tube (which is the genital organ). The rear edge of the female anal fin is straight.

Asia

1.      Kubotai Botia (Botia kubotai)

·         Aka Polka Dot Loach or Angelicus Loach

·         Get to be about 5 inches

·         A social fish best kept in groups of three or more

·         An active loach that can be seen hovering in the upper levels of the tank

·         Juveniles look different from the adults. The adults have more black areas. Juveniles have vertical stripes and adults have both horizontal and vertical stripes.

2.      Celebese Rainbow (Marosatherina (Telmatherina) ladigesi)

·         Get to be about 2.75 inches in length

·         Prefer warmer temperatures between 78-82 degrees

·         Found in streams in Indonesia

·         The second dorsal and anal fin are quite impressive with their colors and length on the male

·         Spawn eaters so move the eggs into a rearing tank if you want them to survive

3.      Choprae Danio (Danio choprai)

·         Found in Asia: Irrawaddy in northern Myanmar

·         Very rare fish in the trade

·         Also known as the Glow Light Danio which derives its name from the common Glolight Tetra because of their resemblance

·         They like a heavily planted aquarium

·         Mature males will be more slender, smaller and more colorful than the females

 

Saltwater

1.      Cheetah Rabbitfish (Siganus sp.)

·         Venomous dorsal spines

·         Inhabit both saltwater and brackish water, some species have even been known to enter freshwater

·         Pelagic spawners

·         Herbivore-so provide a diet of benthic algae

·         Fantastic algae cleaners, help keep the reefs clear of algae that can suffocate the corals (including red and green bubble algae)

·         Very peaceful temperament

2.      Butter Hamlet (Hypoplectrus unicolor)

·         Found in the Caribbean and the Bahamas, along the coast of Florida but NOT in the Gulf of Mexico

·         Creamy yellow-white in color, blue markings on the head and black spots on the base of the tail and the snout

·         Diet consists of meaty foods including small fish and shrimp

·         Are coral safe

·         Friendly towards tank mates but may get territorial towards other Hamlets

·         Prefer a tank with a lot of rocky hiding places

3.      Grammistes Blenny (Meiacanthus grammistes)

·         From the Indo-West Pacific

·         Aka Striped Poison-Fang Blenny (venomous fangs)

·         A commonly captive bred fish

·         Will most likely ignore tank mates unless closely related

·         Prefers to live in a reef tank feeding off the live microfauna

·         Gets to be about 4.3 inches in length

4.      Lettuce Nudibranch (Tridachia crispate)

·         Green with a ruffled back – this allows for more surface area to absorb oxygen

·         Found in the Caribbean

·         Algae eater

·         Grow to 3 inches in length

·         Incorporates the algal chloroplast into its tissues and performs photosynthesis to get energy.

5.      Staghorn Coral Hermit Crab (Manucomplanus varians)

·         Eat algae, but when that is gone will move onto polyps and steal from sessile invertebrates. Will also eat cyanobacteria and other meaty offerings.

·         The horns of this coral grow in such a way that if turned upside down the hermit cannot right itself

·         Found in the Indo-Pacific

·         This species of hermit crab make a home out of Staghorn hydrocoral

·         Found in the Gulf of California to Panama