List of brackish aquarium fish species

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

This is a list of commonly seen fish that can be kept in a

brackish water aquarium
.

Cyprinodontiformes

Common name Taxonomy Picture Tank type Remarks
Poeciliids
Guppy
Poecilia reticulata
Community Many color and tail pattern varieties exist, also can tolerate above ocean level salt. Normally freshwater.[1]
Black molly
Poecilia sphenops Community
Species of Poeciliidae, a tropical fish indigenous to Latin America from Mexico to Columbia.
Sailfin molly
Poecilia latipinna
Community Gold and silver varieties commonly found.
Others
Four-eyed fish
Anableps spp.
These fish can see above and below water.
American Flagfish
Jordanella floridae
Community May eat hair algae, but also may eat plants.[2]

Catfish

Common name Taxonomy Picture Size Remarks Salinity
Sea catfish
Colombian shark catfish
Hexanematichthys seemanni
Species of fish
Australian shark catfish Arius graeffei
Berney's shark catfish
Arius berneyi
Species of fish

Pufferfish

Common name Taxonomy Picture Size Remarks Salinity
Common Toadfish, Toado
Tetractenos hamiltoni
4" Rarely seen in the aquarium trade, even in Australia, where it is native. Adaptable to a wide range of conditions and habitats, from marginal, polluted freshwater-brackish creeks to fully marine seagrass flats, as long as the habitat is sheltered from strong currents.[citation needed]
Figure 8 pufferfish
Tetraodon biocellatus
4" Requires brackish aquarium conditions with very low Nitrite and Nitrate levels to be kept successfully. Freshwater compromises immune system, harms puffer, and shortens life extremely. Commonly kept in freshwater.
Green spotted puffer
Tetraodon nigroviridis
6" Often sold as freshwater fish, but this species actually thrives in brackish water. As the fish matures, it requires the salinity levels to slowly increase with age. Must be kept in aquarium with very low Nitrite and Nitrate levels to be kept successfully. A highly varied diet is a necessary requirement for this species. Prawns, muscle meat, mysid, squid and aquatic snails are all relished. Provide Shelled food to naturally trim the puffers constantly growing teeth.[3] 1.008-1.018

Gobies

Common name Taxonomy Picture Size Remarks Salinity
Bumblebee goby
Brachygobius xanthozonus
1.5" Often a picky eater. Will accept thawed frozen brine shrimp or mysis shrimp. Can be outcompeted for food by more aggressive fish.
Water Cow Eleotris picta 17"
Dragon goby
Gobioides broussonnetii
21" Though pet stores often label as "vicious" this fish is actually quite harmless
Barred mudskipper
Periophthalmus argentilineatus
6" This fish requires "land" to crawl out of the water.
Atlantic mudskipper
Periophthalmus barbarus
9" This fish requires "land" to crawl out of the water.
Knight goby
Stigmatogobius sadanundio 3.5"
A species of goby indigenous to South Asia.

Cichlids

Common name Taxonomy Picture Size Remarks Salinity
Blackchin tilapia
Sarotherodon melanotheron
11" A species of cichlid, indigenous to coastal West Africa.
Orange chromide
Etroplus maculatus
3" A species of cichlid, indigenous to Southern India and Sri Lanka, with orange coloration.
Green chromide
Etroplus suratensis
15" Species of fish
Mexican mojarra
Mayaheros urophthalmus 39.4 cm
A species of large cichlid, indigenous to Middle America, with a tail eye spot.
0 - 40 ppt

Beloniformes

Other fish

Common name Taxonomy Picture Size Remarks Salinity
Siamese tigerfish Datnioides microlepis 18" These fish must be kept in large aquaria.[4]
New Guinea tigerfish
Datnioides campbelli 13" These fish must be kept in large aquaria.[4]
Silver moony
Monodactylus argenteus 10" These fish are also known from marine habitats.
African moony
Monodactylus sebae 10" These fish are also known from marine habitats.
Indian glassy fish
Parambassis ranga 3.1" These fish are often dyed.
Jarbua terapon
Terapon jarbua 14" These fish breed in saltwater and the young return to freshwater.
Banded archerfish
Toxotes jaculatrix
12" These fish have the ability to shoot water to hit their insect prey.
Ruby Scat
Scatophagus argus 15" A ravenous herbivore that quickly defoliates any aquatic plants in the aquarium. One of the few common brackish water plants in the trade, the
Java Fern
(Microsorum pteropus) appears to be toxic to these fish and should not be planted with "scats".
Hogchoker
Trinectes maculatus
3" Often sold under the misnomers "Freshwater Flounder" or "Freshwater Fluke", but is in fact a brackish water if not marine fish

See also

References

  1. ^ R, Abhijeet. "Can Guppies Live In Saltwater? Here's What We Found". jaljeev.com/. Retrieved 2022-10-02.
  2. ^ Fabian (2020-05-06). "Flagfish - Habitat, Feeding, Breeding, Tank Size & Mates". SmartAquariumGuide. Retrieved 2022-10-02.
  3. ^ "Green Spotted Pufferfish-Tetraodon nigroviridis". www.fishkeeper.co.uk. Retrieved 2022-10-02.
  4. ^ a b Schäfer F, Brackish - Water fishes, Aqualog 2005 p. 70