Remarkably few European native fishes are kept by aquarists and yet some meet all the criteria of a good aquarium fish, that is, small size, pretty colours, and interesting behaviour. The sticklebacks meet all these criteria in full and yet are very rarely even thought of when choosing aquarium fishes.
If you like large predators then these are the fishes for you. Depending on species they range in size from about 15 cm (6 in) to well over 1 metre (36 in) when full grown.
The halfbeaks occur in southeast Asia and are found in both fresh and brackish environments. Most of those available in aquatic outlets have been acclimatized to freshwater conditions (with maybe a level teaspoonful of salt per 4.5 litres/1 gallon), so you should have no problems with them
If you are looking for something a little out of the ordinary you may like to consider the leaf fishes. These members of the family Nandidae occur in South America, Africa, and Asia.
As suggested by the common name, the Chandidae (Glassfishes) have transparent bodies which allow you to see the skeleton and many of their internal organs. Two species crop up every now and again in the trade: Chanda ranga (Indian glassfish) and Chanda wolffii. The larger of the two is C. wolffii at 20 cm (8 in) although it is most unusual for them to reach this size in captivity even if they are fed correctly.
For anyone looking for something a little out of the ordinary, nothing could be better than the butterfly fish. Known scientifically as Pantodon buchholzi, it is a surfacedwelling predator.
In the tropical waters of Africa we find a very interesting family of fishes, the Polypteridae (Bichirs, Reedfishes, or Lobe-finned pike). They have elongated, snake-like bodies which are covered with enamelled, diamond-shaped (ganoid) scales.
At some time or other you may wish to try your hand at keeping spiny eels, members of the family Mastacembelidae. Despite their common name they are not related to the true eels, but just have a similar long thin shape.
Many gobies are brackish water fishes but there are some that are at home in fresh water. Most are bottom-dwellers, lurking among stones and roots, and scuttling from place to place in search of food.
