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Common Fish Names Beginning With the Letter T

Tiger barb or Sumatra barb Puntius tetrazona tropical aquarium fish
Mirko_Rosenau / Getty Images

There are hundreds of pet fish species out there, from the more commonly known ones like goldfish and bettas, to more rare fish species like wolf cichlids or killifish. And with so many options available, it can be difficult to narrow them down, or even begin to choose the best fish for your home aquarium.

Narrowing down pet fish species alphabetically is one good way to start. Below is a list of common aquarium fish names beginning with the letter T and their scientific names.

  • Taillight tetra (Bryconops melanurus): The name of this fish is derived from its body since it seems to reflect light, from the head and tail. The headlight is located behind the eye and the other is at the base of the caudal fin.
  • Tail-spot corydoras (Corydoras caudimaculatus): This is a very peaceful fish that does well in a community fish. While it won't bother its tankmates, it does tend to "bumble" around the aquarium and might annoy other fish that dwell on the bottom. 
  • Talking catfish (Amblydoras hancocki): Like its name, the talking catfish makes an audible noise like a croak, particularly when caught. They can be amusing and charming, but because they are nocturnal, they'll rarely be seen.
  • Tanganyika lampeye (Lamprichthys tanganicanus): A dominant male of this species, which sports elaborate fins, will establish claim a large territory among rocks. 
  • Tanganyika catfish (Lophiobagrus cyclurus): A small catfish from Lake Tanganyika in Africa, it's also known as the multipunk, cuckoo catfish, or cuckoo squeakers.
  • Tapah catfish (Wallago leerii): Legend has it that this fed on human corpses for centuries! This is a dangerous fish and it's known to bite the hand that feeds it. It once reached more than six feet in length, though now the breed is smaller.
  • Tarpon (Megalops cyprinoldes): A tarpon has an organ like a primitive lung—a swim bladder that can fill with air.
Tail-spot pygmy corydoras (Corydoras hastatus) group
Tail-spot pygmy corydoras Bruno Cavignaux / Getty Images

More Fish That Begin With T

  • T-barb (Barbus lateristriga)
  • Temporalis cichlid (Telmatochromis temporalis)
  • Tenuis tetra (Mimagoniates lateralis)
  • Ternetzi anostomus (Anostomus ternetzi)
  • Texas cichlid (Cichlasoma cyanoguttatum)
  • Thick-lipped gourami (Colisa labiosa)
  • Thomas' chaetostoma (Chaetostoma thomasi)
  • Threadfin acara (Acarichthys heckelli)
  • Threadfin rainbowfish (Irantherina werneri)
  • Thread-finned cichlid (Acarichthys heckelii)
  • Three spot eartheater (Geophagus daemon)
  • Three spot gourami (Trichogaster trichopterus)
  • Three-lined pencilfish (Nannostomus trifasciatus)
  • Three-lined pimelodid (Pimelodus albofasciatus)
  • Three-lined rasbora (Rasbora trilineata)
  • Three-spot earth eater (Satanoperca daemon)
  • Three-spot gourami (Trichogaster trichopterus)
  • Three-spot tetra (Odontostilbe kriegi)
  • Three-striped dwarf cichlid (Apistogramma trifasciata)
  • Three-striped pencilfish (Nannobrycon eques)
  • Ticto barb (Barbus ticto)
  • Tiger barb (Barbus schuberti)
  • Tiger characin (Hydrocynus vittatus)
  • Tiger loach (Botia helodes)
  • Tiger ray (Potamotrygon menchacai)
  • Tiger shovelnose catfish (Pseudoplatystoma fasciatum)
  • Tiger tetra (Hoplias malabaricus)
  • Tiger tilapia (Tilapia mariae)
  • Tinfoil barb (Barbodes schwanefeldii)
  • Tire track eel (Mastacembelus armatus)
  • Toae cichlid (Neolamprologus toae)
  • Tretocephalus cichlid (Neolamprologus tretocephalus)
  • Trewavas' mbuna (Labeotropheus trewavasae)
  • Trewavas' neolebias (Neolebias trewavasae)
  • Trimac cichlid (Cichlasoma trimaculatum)
  • Tropical gar (Atractosteus tropicus)
  • True red Congo tetra (Micralestes stormsi)
  • Turquoise severum (Heros appendiculatus)
  • Twig catfish (Farlowella acus)
  • Twin-stripe pencilfish (Nannostomus digrammus)
  • Two point tetra (Brycinus bimaculatus)
  • Two-banded cichlid (Telmatochromis bifrenatus)
  • Two-lined pencilfish (Nannostomus bifasciatus)
  • Two-rayed banjo catfish (Bunocephalus hypsiurus)
  • Two-spot barb (Barbus bimaculatus)
  • Two-spot cichlid (Cichlasoma bimaculatum)
  • Two-spot pink bagrid (Mystus micracanthus)
  • Two-spot rasbora (Rasbora elegans elegans)
The fish texas cichlid (Cichlasoma cyanoguttatum). Originally from North America.
Texas Cichlid Javier Fernández Sánchez / Getty Images