# List of brackish aquarium fish species

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

## Cyprinodontiformes

| Common name | Taxonomy | Tank type | Remarks |
| Poeciliids |||||
| Guppy | Poecilia reticulata | Community | Many color and tail pattern varieties exist, also can tolerate above ocean level salt. Normally freshwater. |
| Black molly | Poecilia sphenops | Community | {{{1}}}{{{1}}} Aquarium fishPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets |
| 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. |

## Catfish

| Common name | Taxonomy | Remarks |
| Sea catfish ||||||
| Colombian shark catfish | Hexanematichthys seemanni | {{{1}}}{{{1}}} Species of fishPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets |
| Australian shark catfish | Arius graeffei | {{{1}}} |
| Berney's shark catfish | Arius berneyi | {{{1}}}{{{1}}} Species of fishPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets |

## Pufferfish

| Common name | Taxonomy | 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. | |
| 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. | 1.008-1.018 |

## Gobies

| Common name | Taxonomy | Size | Remarks |
| 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" | |
| Violet goby, 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" | {{{1}}}{{{1}}} A species of goby indigenous to South Asia.Pages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets |

## Cichlids

| Common name | Taxonomy | Size | Remarks | Salinity |
| Blackchin tilapia | Sarotherodon melanotheron | 11" | {{{1}}}{{{1}}} Species of ray-finned fish | |
| Orange chromide | Etroplus maculatus | 3" | {{{1}}}{{{1}}} A species of cichlid, indigenous to Southern India and Sri Lanka, with orange coloration. | |
| Green chromide | Etroplus suratensis | 15" | {{{1}}}{{{1}}} Species of fish | |
| Mayan cichlid or Mexican mojarra | Mayaheros urophthalmus | 39.4 cm | {{{1}}}{{{1}}} A species of large cichlid, indigenous to Middle America, with a tail eye spot.Pages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets | 0 – 40 ppt |

## Other fish

| Common name | Taxonomy | Size | Remarks |
| Siamese tigerfish | Datnioides microlepis | 18" | These fish must be kept in large aquaria. |
| New Guinea tigerfish | Datnioides campbelli | 13" | These fish must be kept in large aquaria. |
| 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" | 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 |