| Vital Statistics for Commonly Kept Aquarium Fish |
THIS FEATURE IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION AND IS INCOMPLETE
FISH FAMILIES:
FRESHWATER:
Anabantids (Betta, Gourami, Paradise Fish, ....)
Catfish (Corydoras, Plecos, Otos, Pictus, ...)
Characins (Tetras, Rasboras, Danios, ...)
Cichlids (Angelfish, Africans, Oscars, ...)
Cyprinids (Barbs, Loaches, Sharks, Koi, Goldfish, Minnows, ...)
Invertebrates (Crabs, Shrimp, Snails, Bivalves, ...)
Killifish (Pupfishes, Topminnows, Darters, ...)
Livebearers (Guppies, Mollies, Platy, Swordtails, ...)
SALTWATER:
Angelfish
Blennies & Gobies
Butterflyfish
Clownfish/Anemonefish
Corals
Dragonets
Eels
Invertebrates
Hawkfish
Puffers & Porcupinefish
Seahorse
Sharks
Stingrays
Tangs & Surgeonfish
Triggerfish
HOW TO USE THIS FEATURE:
On the pages to follow, you will see a chart. This chart will have the format as follows:
| Family: Anabantids | Water type: Fresh |
| COMMON NAME | LATIN NAME | AVERAGE LIFESPAN | HOW EASY TO | Diet | Photo | Article |
| Genus | species | KEEP | BREED |
| Siamese Fighter | Betta | splendens | 2 yrs | E | E | C | X | X |
| Blue Gourami | Trichogaster | trichopterus | 5 yrs + | E | E | O | | |
| Dwarf Gourami | Colisa | lalia | 2-3 yrs | E | E | O | | |
| Giant Goramy | Ospheronemus | goramy | 15 yrs + | X | D | O | | |
From left to right, you'll find a common name (note, some fish may have a different common name in some regions of the world.) followed be the taxonomical name (genus and species). Next is the average lifespan. Take note that this is the estimated lifespan in captivity (i.e. an aquarium) and may not reflect the true lifespan of a feral fish in its native habitat. Now we come to the colored boxes. The legend below displays the color code. The letters are provided to assist readers who may be red/green colorblind and would have difficulty distinguishing the color cues. Next, the diet of the fish. The codes for this column appear below. Under the Photo column, there will be an "X" hyperlinked to a photo, if we have one available. Under the Article column, there will be an "X" hyperlinked to the article in our article library, if we have one.
| LEGEND: | EASY | DIFFICULT | NOT RECOMENDED |
| You will find a letter, E, D, or X, possibly followed by a number. E=Easy, D=Difficult, X=Not Recommended. The number displayed refers to one of the following notes: |
NOTES:
1: No reports of spawning in captivity
2: Rare reports of spawning in captivity
3: Some subspecies difficult to spawn
4: Grows to a very large adult size
5: Not recommended for beginners
6: Schooling fish--should be kept in groups (6 or more)
7: Species-only environment recommended
8: Brackish water
DIET:
C=Carnivorous, H=Herbivorous, O=Omnivorous, S#=Special (see note #)
