Not often seen in the hobby, probably because it's a fairly bland species when mature. Juveniles are more attractive, possessing reddish unpaired fins, but these fade as the fish mature. It is, however, both peaceful and hardy and is a good choice for the beginner. It is sometimes seen labelled as G. socolofi. This name is now considered a junior synonym of G. bondi….

This unusual tetra is not often seen on sale in the trade, but is never particularly expensive when available. It is currently the only member in the genus although the family Glandulocaudinae actually contains about 20 member genera. None are especially popular aquarium fish, although a couple of Mimagoniates species are occasionally seen in the hobby.

Almost all members of the Glandulocaudinae are characterised by the presence of secretory caudal glands in male fish, the particular structur…

This rarely seen Characin occasionally shows up in the trade, usually as a contaminant among shipments of more popular species. It's sometimes referred to as Asiphonichthys condei in older literature.

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 can be distinguished from its congener C. macrolepidotus mainly by the red or yellow (as opposed to pink) caudal fin. In addition, it has yellow pectoral and pelvic fins and may also have some yellow colouration on the body. It is seen for sale as often as its relative, although it's quite abundant in nature….

The genus Brachychalcinus currently contains four other species: B. copei (Steindachner 1882) from the rio Madeira and rio Solimões; B. nummus Böhlke 1958 from the Upper Amazon region in Colombia, Ecuador and Peru; B. parnaibae Reis 1989 from the rio Parnaíba basin, and B. retrospina Boulenger 1892 from the Rio Paraguay system.

The group is often referred to collectively as ‘silver dollar tetras’ and tho…

The colour of this species is often so intense that many who first see it for sale assume it to be artificially coloured. It is currently the only representative of the genus known.

Most Astyanax spp. are not popular in the aquarium hobby, though the genus is among the most speciose within the family Characidae. A. leopoldi is no exception in that you’ll rarely see it offered for sale but may find the occasional specimen mixed among other species in shipments of wild fishes from Peru.

Now the only species in the genus Paratilapia, P. polleni is known as the "marakely" to many natives in Madagascar, which means "black fish". As with most Madagascan cichlid species, it is highly endangered in the wild due to habitat destruction and competition from introduced species and all attempts at captive breeding are to be encouraged.

There is still some confusion as to the identity of the "true" P. polleni as there are both large and small-spotted forms…

Endemic to pthe upper Amazon basin in Peru, around the city of Iquitos.

Most Astyanax spp. are not popular in the aquarium hobby, though the genus is among the most speciose within the family Characidae. A. kennedyi is no exception; you’ll rarely see it offered for sale but may find the occasional specimen mixed among other species in shipments of wild fishes from Peru.