List of brackish aquarium fish species

This is a list of commonly seen fish that can be kept in a brackish water aquarium.

Cyprinidontiformes

Poeciliids
Common name taxonomy Picture Max size Tank Type Care Level Description Temperature Range pH range Water Hardness Salinity
Guppy Poecilia reticulata Community Easy Many color and tail pattern varieties exist, also can tolerate above ocean level salt. Normally freshwater.
Black molly Poecilia sphenops Community Easy
Sailfin molly Poecilia latipinna Community Easy Gold and silver varieties commonly found.
Other
Common name Taxonomy Picture Max size Tank Type Care Level Description Temperature Range pH range Water Hardness Salinity
Four-eyed fish Anableps spp. 12" Easy These fish can see above and below water.
American Flagfish Jordanella floridae Community Easy May eat hair algae, but also may eat plants.

Catfish

Common name Taxonomy Picture Size Tank Type Care Level Remarks Temperature range pH range Water hardness Salinity
Sea catfish
Colombian shark catfish Hexanematichthys seemanni
Australian shark catfish Arius graeffei
Berney's shark catfish Arius berneyi

Pufferfish

Common name Taxonomy Picture Size Tank Type Care Level Remarks Temperature range pH range Water hardness Salinity
Common Toadfish, Toado Tetractenos hamiltoni 4" Species tank or with other fish too large to bully. Easy to Intermediate 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.
Figure 8 pufferfish Tetraodon biocellatus 4" Best kept as species only Intermediate 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" Best kept as species only Intermediate to Difficult 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. 1.008-1.018

Gobies

Common name Taxonomy Picture Size Tank Type Care Level Remarks Temperature range pH range Water hardness Salinity
Bumblebee goby Brachygobius xanthozonus 1.5" Community or Species OnlyIntermediate 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"
Violet goby, Dragon goby Gobioides broussonnetii 21" Brackish community tank intermediate Though pet stores often label as "vicious" this fish is actually quite harmless
Mudskipper (Barred Mudskipper) Periophthalmus argentilineatus 6" This fish requires "land" to crawl out of the water.
Mudskipper (Atlantic Mudskipper) Periophthalmus barbarus 9" This fish requires "land" to crawl out of the water.
Knight goby Stigmatogobius sadanundio 3.5"

Cichlids

Common name Taxonomy Picture Size Tank Type Care Level Remarks Temperature range pH range Water hardness Salinity
Cichlids
Blackchin tilapia Sarotherodon melanotheron melanotheron 11"
Orange chromide Etroplus maculatus 3"
Green chromide Etroplus suratensis 15"

Other fish

Common name Taxonomy Picture Size Tank Type Care Level Remarks Temperature range pH range Water hardness Salinity
Siamese tigerfish Datnioides microlepis 18" These fish must be kept in large aquaria.[1]22–26 °C (72–79 °F) 7.6–8.0
New Guinea tigerfish Datnioides campbelli 13" Keep with other big fishes that can not fit to its mouth These fish must be kept in large aquaria.[2]22–26 °C (72–79 °F) 7.6–8.0
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.
Targetfish, 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.
Green Scat, Ruby Scat Scatophagus argus 15" Community, especially with Monodactylus sp. (Monos) Intermediate 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 fish

See also

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Brackish aquarium fishes.
  1. Schäfer F, Brackish - Water fishes, Aqualog 2005 p. 70
  2. Schäfer F, Brackish - Water fishes, Aqualog 2005 p. 70
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