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10 of the World's Most Beautiful Freshwater Fish

When you think about freshwater fish, monotonous white and orange fish probably come to mind. However, as you’re about to see, some freshwater fish are the most colorful fish in existence. Therefore, if you’re looking to brighten up your freshwater aquarium, finding eye-catching freshwater fish is a lot easier than you might think, especially when you have this list to help you out.

 

Below you’ll find the 10 most colorful freshwater fish in existence, so enjoy these stunning photos of beautiful fish.

1. Discus

Colorful Fish: Discus
The discus fish are a genus of Cichlids, which are native to the Amazon River. Their bright colors make them an extremely popular choice for freshwater aquariums. Their brain pattern markings and colors range from reds, browns, creams, oranges, and brilliant shades of blue. There are many natural species of Discus, but breeders have cultivated strains, producing hundreds of variations of shapes, patterns, and coloring.

2. Killifish

Colorful Fish: Killifish

These fish are found throughout Asia, South and North America, Africa, and some parts of Europe. They are lavishly colored and are popular among hobbyists as they are extremely easy to keep in your freshwater aquarium. They are available in red, blue, and orange.

Female killifish are less vibrantly colored and males have blue and yellow coloration with orange spots and stripes from the body to the tip of their fins. Their popularity means that it may be hard to find one at your local fish store.

 

3. Male Betta

Colorful Fish: Male betta
These fish, also known as Siamese Fighting Fish, come in a large variety of fin types and colors. There are a number of vibrant colors to choose from including black, white, yellow, red, purple, orange, and blue. They are also available in monochrome colors, but a Betta that displays two or more colors with its large elegant flowing fins is unmatched when it comes to other freshwater fish. The fact that they live for a long time and are easy to take care of makes them one of the most popular freshwater fish.

4. German Blue Ram

Colorful Fish: German blue Ram
This is a peaceful and colorful small-sized cichlid. This is a flamboyantly colored species – yellow-green colors make up the main body and blue dots cover the fins. There are also seven darker vertical stripes on the fish and one very obvious strip on the head and through the eye. There are also red patches on the belly, near the eyes and upper and lower sections of the dorsal and tail fin. The fins are blue and red, and the dorsal fin is dominated by yellow and black markings.

5. Endlers Livebearer

Colorful Fish: Endlers Livebearer
These are rare in pet shops, but they can occasionally be found in the homes and freshwater tanks of Endler enthusiasts. These fish have a similar look to the wild guppy. They offer brilliant, neon, and unique colorations such as orange, yellow-green, black, and baby blue. These fish may be small, but they definitely cannot be missed. They are peaceful in nature, tolerant to changing aquarium conditions, and are very easy to take care of.

6. Boeseman’s Rainbowfish

Colorful Fish: Boeseman's Rainbowfish
This fish is endemic to Indonesia, near Western New Guinea. IT has a peaceful demeanor and is very popular among freshwater fish hobbyists due to their rare coloration, which is different to that found among other species of rainbowfish. The rear half of the fish is a bright red-orange, and the front half is bluish-grey or purple. The body contains narrow dark lines, the fins are orange, and the two dorsal fins are white on the edges.

7. Gourami

Colorful Fish: Gourami
These fish are native to Pakistan, Korea, and India. The most beautiful Gourami species are the Red Fire Dwarf Gouramis, the Banded Gouramis, and the blue Gouramis. These are almost the perfect freshwater aquarium fish as they are colorful, active, entertaining, and very easy to take care of.  They are available in a wide range of stunning color variations such as gold, neon, sunset, and blue.

8. Peacock Cichlid

Colorful Fish: Peacock Cichlid
These fish possess distinct characteristics that have made them popular for aquarium hobbyists for over three decades. The Peacock Cichlid display dozens of color patterns, which consist of gold, blue, bright yellow, vivid orange, and red. They also have vertical dark stripes down the body.

9. Fantail Guppy

Colorful Fish: Fantail Guppy
These are an attractive and inexpensive fish. Their diverse colors and patterns make them a beautiful fish to watch as they swim around the aquarium. Their graceful appearance is one of the reasons this fish has become such a popular addition to freshwater aquariums. There are over 20 color combinations, including solid reds, purples, blues, yellows, metallic and white.

10. Flowerhorn Cichlid

Colorful Fish: Flowerhorn Cichlid

This cichlid is farm raised in the U.S. and has come into existence due to crossbreeding different American Cichlid species. They get their name from their distinctive shaped protruding head and their dark flower-shaped spots. The most popular color is red. It’s important to note that these fish can be semi-aggressive towards other fish.

N.B. when looking for colorful additions to your aquarium, make sure you know the needs and requirements of the fish so that they can live a long, healthy, and happy life. You should know what temperatures, pH, and food they need, as well as what fish work well together.

Source: homeaquaria
Images: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 

 

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