Every species

Utilises a strategy which has become known as 'pelvic brooding'. Spawning tends to occur in the early morning, with dominant males darkening in colouration and defending their space by driving away potential competitors, while approaching ripe females in a rigid 'head-down' position. The eggs normally number 8-12 and are expelled as a single mass while being fertilised simultaneously, after which they continue to hang from th...

An exclusive inhabitant of fresh, normally standing, waters including shallow pools, ditches, rice paddies and clear water swamps. The type locality is a small ditch measuring just 3 - 6 metres in width and 0.5 - 2 metres deep. The water was clear and the substrate composed of sand, detritus and mud with growths of the macrophytes Nymphaea lotus, Jussiaea repens and Hydrilla verticillata.

This species was discovered in 2009 and as far as we know it has only been collected for the aquarium hobby on a single occasion to date, by Jeffrey Christian of Maju Aquarium, Frank Evers and Hans-Georg Evers. Prior to description it was referred to as O. sp. 'Kendari', O. sp. 'neon' or O. sp. 'Sulawesi'.

The type locality is a karstic freshwater stream flowing under 80% forest cover with a mixed substrate of mud and sand plus patches of leaf litter. O. woworae was collected from a still pool around 3-4 m deep, opposite an affluent spring, where it was schooling with a species of Nomorhamphus which may turn out to be a form of N. ebrardtii but has subsequently appeared in the aquarium trad...

A bizarre and very recent addition to the genus, O. exodon is infrequently imported to the hobby, but has been seen occasionally. It has specially adapted mouthparts whereby it has greatly enlarged teeth. An extra set of teeth can also be seen growing in concentric bands on the outer lips! These are used in nature to literally 'pick' fruit from overhanging branches, with the fish often leaping from the water to grab a particularly juicy fig or other fruit. When the mouth of the fish is...

An incredibly hardy, long-lived fish which can survive for over 20 years in captivity. These fish develop real personality and can learn to recognise their owner. They are often sold as cute juveniles in aquatic shops with no information provided as to their adult size. The young have an attractive barred patterning which fades as the fish grow, which they do very quickly. A golden variety also exists in aquaria. O. goramy is cultured commercially for food on a large scale in several countrie...

Still relatively rare in the hobby, this fish was only described to science in the early 1990s. It's not yet being mass-produced in any great numbers, and demand is high, so it's quite pricey when it is available. It's a stunning fish when adult, developing bright red fin edges with filamentous extensions, and a body colour varying between blue-green and almost black. It makes a great pet as it can develop real personality and learn to recognise its owner....

There are currently 34 described species of Osteochilus although none can be considered popular in the aquarium hobby. According to Rainboth's 'Fishes of the Cambodian Mekong' members of the genus are characterised by lack of aspine, presence of 11-18rays, large rostral and maxillary barbels, papillae on both upper and lower lips, darkened but not black median fins and the fact that the lower lip is not separated from the isthmus by a deep post-labial groove. O. hasseltii can be f...

This species is very scarce in the trade indeed and you're most likely to see it on sale as a contaminant among import of other Indian species. There are currently 34 described species of Osteochilus although none can be considered popular in the aquarium hobby. According to Rainboth's 'Fishes of the Cambodian Mekong' members of the genus are characterised by lack of aspine, presence of 11-18rays, large rostral and maxillary barbels, papillae on both upper and lower lips,...

Given its eventual size and natural behaviour this species is largely unsuitable for the home aquarium, and we know of only a handful of private aquarists with the facilities required to house it long-term. Unfortunately juveniles are readily available in the trade, although the scarcity of privately-maintained adults would suggest that most fail to reach their potential.

This stunning miniature Loricariid has only been available in the hobby since 2001, and was described to science in 2004. As with other otos, it can be a little delicate when first imported and should be quarantined carefully until it's settled.

This is one of the commoner "otos" seen in the hobby, and is an ideal species for the planted aquarium. Unfortunately it can be quite delicate when first imported, and losses are not uncommon. This is usually down to lack of food, as it's a small fish and needs to feed almost constantly, so it's easily starved during transportation. As almost all otos are wild caught, they can be quite sensitive to water quality, too. Many hobbyists report fewer problems if the fish are added...

O. lithobates is a true rock dweller and is hardly ever seen in open water, even in aquaria. In fact, the scientific name lithobates literally translates as "rock dweller". Breeding males of this species rank among the most stunning of Lake Malawi Haplochromine cichlids. The three characteristic spots on the flanks disappear and are masked by a stunning neon blue patterning. Almost the entireand top of the head turn a deep yellow-orange colour. The most colourful variant is the "...

Previously referred to a Pseudodoras niger, the Ripsaw Cat is a fish only for the experienced fishkeeper due to its large adult size. Although a visually stunning fish, realistically, it is best suited to public aquaria. Much more peaceful than its common name suggests, which it gets from the spines that run down the lateral line of the fish. This fish is becoming more readily available to the hobby and prices are also falling, meaning that many fishkeepers are being tempted into buying a fis...

One of the largest goby species in the world, O. marmoratus is unsuitable for the vast majority of aquaria, but is an interesting oddball for the true enthusiast with the facilities to house it properly. It is a nocturnal ambush predator and generally remains motionless during daylight hours unless striking at food. It is a popular food fish in some of its native countries, where it is known as soon hock....

P. arnoulti has been in the aquarium hobby for many years but was identified as the congener P. omalonotus prior to its description. It appears in the majority of older aquarium literature under that name and as a result a degree of hybridisation has undoubtedly occurred.

For a number of decades this species was thought to occur throughout much of Madagsacar's western slope but populations immediately to the north and south of the range described above (see 'Distribution') are currently considered to represent unidentified species, while a number of populations from the Mahavavy du Sud and Betsiboka riv...

Type locality is given simply as 'Seychelles' and this species was originally endemic to the Granitic Seychelles, i.e., those islands in the centre of the group composed chiefly of granite rock. A translocated population now exists on Zanzibar while in the Seychelles it's known from the islands of Mahé, Praslin, Silhouette and La Digue.

The majority of original populations have already been extirpated due to introduction of invasive species such as Gambusia holbrooki and Poecilia reticulata, ongoing deforestation of the Ambohitra Massif, and physical diversion of the source of the Sakaramy River for domestic use by locals. An additional population may exist in a stream on the southern slope of the Ambohitra Massif on the road between Bobasokoa and Anivorano, near the village of Andranotohiliny, but this requires verification.

Not difficult to maintain under the correct conditions; we strongly recommend keeping it in a tank designed to simulate a flowing stream with a substrate of variably-sized rocks, sand, fine gravel, and some water-worn boulders. This can be further furnished with driftwood branches, terracotta pipes, plant pots, etc., arranged to form a network of nooks, crannies, and shaded spots, thus providing broken lines of sight.