From pufferfish to piranhas, fish starting with “P” showcase the incredible diversity of aquatic life. If you’re searching for new additions to your aquarium or simply exploring their variety, this list should prove stimulating and fascinating.
Platy fish are known to be easy to care for and thrive in planted community tanks. Other P-starting fish include Pacific sailfin sculpin and pearl gourami species.
Pufferfish
There are over 120 species of puffer fish, and they come in all kinds of shapes and colors. Pufferfish are known for bloating into an intimidating size when threatened; spines or quills make swallowing them more challenging; pufferfish release tetrodotoxin, which is toxic if inhaled by humans.
Puffer fishes belong to the Tetraodontidae family of fish, meaning “four-toothed.” Their scientific name refers to their four large teeth that look similar to beaks and are used to open shellfish. Sand-dwellers and bottom feeders feed on algae and invertebrates, but some more giant puffers may also be found on coral reefs and freshwater environments.
While pufferfish may look harmless when puffed up, these fish have a violent side, too. Being poor swimmers themselves, pufferfish rely on scaring their enemies away to survive, so when predators see them coming, they puff up and inflate with tons of air or water into their elastic stomachs to intimidate any potential threats. They even possess sharp, beak-like front teeth that can break open clams, mussels, or any other shellfish to make a meal of it!
Male puffer fish create underwater crop circles containing patterns to attract females for breeding. Once drawn, males will lead the female directly to where she can lay her eggs while also helping fertilize them through rubs on her side. Though puffer fish can be dangerous, some species have been eaten in Japan, Korea, and China as fugu delicacies; trained chefs must handle the preparation of this delicacy with care as it poses risk factors when consumed.
Peacock Cichlid
Peacock Cichlids are exquisite fish that add significant color and interest to any aquarium. While these species of Cichlid are generally peaceful fish, Peacocks may become more aggressive during spawning, and it is best if kept alone or in groups of mid-sized mild fish. Shoaling males become territorial when breeding season arrives; feeding these unique Cichlids can be tricky due to not accepting cut foods; therefore, live shrimp or worms would provide nutrition for these delicate aquatic beauties!
Several different color morphs and breeding strains exist within the hobby of keeping tropical fish. Their colors vary in terms of intensity of blue hue and number of stripes on their body; one such variety, known as the Chipoka Peacock, features an indigo blue head with 6-8 pale indigo horizontal lines running down its body; yellow from its gill cover to just behind an anal fin; dorsal and caudal fins are iridescent blue while transparent pectoral fins complete its appearance.
Peacocks are mouth brooders, meaning the female will hold her eggs in her mouth until they hatch – this process typically takes around one month and can result in 1-48 eggs at the end of a spawning cycle.
Peacocks are hardy freshwater fish that quickly adapt to various aquarium substrates. While they prefer sandy or rocky environments with plenty of hiding spaces and caves for sheltering and camouflaging themselves from predators, peacocks should be kept in tanks of at least 55 gallons as these cichlids can tolerate higher levels of nitrates than most freshwater species and even thrive unfiltered systems.
Panda Garra
Panda Garras are small, omnivorous algae eaters that can be kept alone or in groups. Because they tend towards aggression towards their kind, however, it’s best to limit their numbers. They tend to be very active creatures engaging in antics with one another and their tankmates alike – making excellent tankmates for non-aggressive fish species and frequently coexisting happily alongside various plants, invertebrates, and freshwater fish species.
Panda Garras are small brownish fish from the Garra genus that often sport sparse or nondescript markings, like their counterparts in other genera of Garra fishes. They possess an adhesive lower lip that allows them to securely adhere to surfaces – something they do in nature to help maintain their position in flowing waters while feeding on algae and biofilm. Their caudal fins feature distinctive dark blotches.
Feed your fish a variety of foods, such as live or frozen brine shrimp and earthworms, vegetable-based sinking pellet feeds rich in spirulina, pieces of blanched zucchini, cucumber or melons, and protein-rich snacks to strengthen their immune systems.
These fish require tanks more significant than 20 gallons in size, although smaller tanks may also be suitable with proper water management. While they can survive in either slow or fast-moving water conditions, they prefer rougher conditions in rivers and streams. Hardy species can live up to five to six years or longer in captivity.
Pacific Sailfin Sculpin Fish
Cottidae (sculpin fish family) contains more than 300 species present in the northern Pacific Ocean’s freshwater and marine environments. Commonly referred to by their common names – bullhead, sea scorpion, etc.- their long bodies easily recognize them with broad heads, spiked dorsal fins, and sharp dorsal fins that feature prominent spikes.
The Pacific sailfin sculpin, Leptocottus armatus, is native to California’s coastline. This demersal fish species lives in sandy and rocky tide pools, and its dark colors blend perfectly with seaweeds and rocks in the water. Sailfin sculpins may also be found at river mouths near the coast, where they often swim among sediment and algae.
These fish can be found worldwide, though they’re most frequently seen in the northern Pacific Ocean. Sculpins are easily distinguished from other fish by their tall first dorsal fin, which can either be raised like a sail or tucked down and to one side; this feature allows sculpins to appear more prominent when threatened, acting as camouflage against predators or just for fun!
This demersal fish, commonly called the “bullhead” or “sea scorpion,” lives in coastal rocky waters from depths 113 meters down. By day, it hides upside-down in crevices, while by night, it swims along its bottom with its erect dorsal fin.
The sculpin is not an endangered or threatened species, yet it is vulnerable to overfishing in certain regions. Recreational anglers commonly catch this fish near shallow rocky coast areas where recreational anglers see it recreationally for recreational fishing purposes. Sculpin’s head and fins contain spines that may injure people when handling it, as handling can expose you to its poison, which causes swelling, pain, and even infection in humans who come in contact with its spines during handling.
Painted Greenling Fish
Oxylebius pictus, commonly referred to as the painted greenling or convict fish, is native to the northeast Pacific Ocean. Also referred to as painted greenling or convict fish, it’s typically found hovering motionlessly along rocky invertebrate-covered surfaces and can easily be distinguished from similar-sized fish by its long compressed body ranging from white or grayish with five to seven dark red or reddish-brown stripes on each side which extend onto fins; its pointed snout; two pairs of bushy outgrowths (cirri) above eyes which look like bushy eyebrows – all features which make Oxylebius pictus easily distinguishable and easily identifiable from similar-sized counterparts such as these two! These unique characteristics help ensure success when hunting down this particular marine fish!
Painted Greenlings feed on small crustaceans and mollusks and are found alone or in pairs. At night, they seek shelter amongst various anemone species like Urticina piscivora (painted greenling anemone) or Urticina greenly (fish-eating anemone), where they share food and protection while seeking refuge during breeding season with olive green and black stripes to mark territory boundaries.
At this time of the year, these colorful little fish become incredibly aggressive while guarding up to ten egg masses and can become very aggressive towards divers that come across them with their striking camouflage. Though rarely caught by recreational anglers in California‘s northern shores, painted greenlings occasionally turn up on piers in southern California and have stable populations with widely distributed populations; conservation status: Least Concern. Their remarkable distinctive color patterns make this a fascinating fish to observe and easy to identify with its striking camouflage patterning!
