Also known as the stinging or fossil catfish, H. fossilis is not recommended to the inexperienced due to its venomous nature. The venom is contained in sacs at the base of the pectoral spines. A sting from one of these is very painful indeed, in some very rare cases fatal. It goes without saying that extreme care must be exercised when performing tank maintenance, or if you need to move the fish for any reason. If stung, the wound should be immersed in water as hot as you can stand, as this will…

A hardy and easy to keep cichlid, albeit a moderately aggressive one.

Rarely available in aquatic stores, this fish is occasionally available through specialist cichlid dealers.

An attractive, if uncommonly seen cichlid. In common with many Central American cichlids, these fish can pose in a challenge in terms of accomodation and it not uncommon to end up having to house these fish individually.

Previously described as cichlasoma regani, it is still occasionally sold under this name.

One of the more beautifull-coloured rainbowfish available when mature, M. herbertaxelrodi is probably at risk from overfishing, but not enough data is available to consider it an endangered species as yet….

This uniquely-shaped rainbow is an uncommonly seen species in the hobby, mainly because it hails from such a remote area in Australia. It is currently listed on the IUCN list of threatened species as being at risk, so all attempts at captive spawning are to be encouraged….

Also known as the Murray River or crimson-spotted rainbowfish, this species is not as common in the hobby as some of its relatives, but can still be found from time to time. It is easily confused with the very similar M. duboulayi, indeed these two were once grouped together as a single species. However, there are clear differences in patterning, fin ray counts and the way in which their eggs and fry develop.

The range of M. fluviatilis extends further south than any other rainbowfish, and a…

An attractive, if aggressive Madagascan cichlid. Not commonly available in the UK, it can occasionally be obtained through cichlid enthusiasts aor specialist dealers.

There is some debate that this species is actually the fish that finds its way into aquatic stores under the name of the Flag cichlid (normally attributed to m. festivus). The two fish look very similar and, in reality, it is likely that both species are sold under the same name – depending on the area where the fish were originally caught and exported from….

This uniquely-patterned species is one of the most popular rainbowfish in the hobby and can be found swimming in most dealers' tanks. However, virtually all these fish are mass-produced on fish farms in the Far East and Eastern Europe. M. boesmani is actually quite rare in nature, and is on the IUCN red list of endangered species. Unfortunately this is one species on which the aquarium trade has had a massively detrimental effect, with an estimated one million fish a year being collected to…

M. affinis was one of the first rainbowfish species to be imported for the hobby in any numbers. There are several geographical variants, three of which can be found in the hobby. The "standard" form has a large natural range and is the most commonly encountered. The "Pagwi" form has a very limited distribution, being known only from a tributary of the Sepik River in New Guinea, while the "Bluewater Creek" form has only been collected from a single location close t…