Shoal & Stem

Species Catalogue

1,376 species — care guides, community photos, water parameters, and tank-mate compatibility.

plant
beginner

South America Moss

Taxiphyllum sp. 'South America'

plantfreshwater

Flat-growing moss with an orderly, overlapping frond pattern. Creates a very clean, structured look. One of the neatest aquarium mosses.

fish
intermediate

South American Puffer

Colomesus asellus

fishfreshwater
3.5″·30+ gal·group 3+·semi-aggr.
fish
beginner

Spade Tail Betta

Betta splendens

fishfreshwater
3″·5+ gal·semi-aggr.
fish
beginner

Spanner Barb

Barbodes lateristriga

fishfreshwater
7″·40+ gal·group 5+·peaceful
fish
beginner

Sparkling Gourami

Trichopsis pumila

fishfreshwater
1.5″·10+ gal·group 3+·peaceful
fish
Xexpert

Spike-Tail Licorice Gourami

Parosphromenus ornaticauda

fishfreshwater
1.2″·10+ gal·peaceful
plant
beginner

Spiky Moss

Taxiphyllum sp. 'Spiky'

plantfreshwater

Spiky Moss forms distinctively pointed, spiky tufts that radiate outward from attachment points, giving it a starburst appearance. It grows readily on rock, wood, or mesh and is easier to shape than Java Moss due to its tidier, more structured growth habit. Popular in Nature Aquarium styling.

algae
beginner

Spirogyra

Spirogyra sp.

algaefreshwater

Bright green filamentous algae with distinctive spiral chloroplasts. In small amounts it's a natural part of the ecosystem and a food source for many invertebrates. Can quickly overtake a tank if nutrients or CO₂ are out of balance. Best controlled by reducing phosphates and manual removal.

fish
intermediate

Splash Tetra

Copella arnoldi

fishfreshwater
3″·20+ gal·group 4+·peaceful
fish
beginner

Splendid Rainbowfish

Melanotaenia splendida

fishfreshwater
4″·30+ gal·group 6+·peaceful
fish
intermediate

Spotted Blue Eye Rainbowfish

Pseudomugil gertrudae

fishfreshwater
1.5″·10+ gal·group 6+·peaceful
fish
Mmedium

Spotted Checkerboard Cichlid

Dicrossus maculatus

fishfreshwater
1.5″·10+ gal·peaceful
fish
Mmedium

Spotted Climbing Perch

Ctenopoma acutirostre

fishfreshwater
3.5″·20+ gal·peaceful
fish
beginner

Spotted Danio

Danio nigrofasciatus

fishfreshwater
1.8″·10+ gal·group 6+·peaceful
fish
advanced

Spotted Dragonet

Synchiropus picturatus

fishsaltwater
3″·55+ gal·peaceful
shrimp
Mmedium

Spotted Head Pinto Shrimp

Caridina logemanni

shrimpfreshwater
1.25″·5+ gal·group 10+·peaceful
fish
intermediate

Spotted Headstander

Chilodus punctatus

fishfreshwater
6″·55+ gal·semi-aggr.
fish
beginner

Spotted Rainbowfish

Melanotaenia maccullochi

fishfreshwater
2.8″·20+ gal·group 4+·peaceful
fish
beginner

Spotted Raphael Catfish

Agamyxis pectinifrons

fishfreshwater
6″·30+ gal·peaceful
fish
beginner

Springeri Dottyback

Pseudochromis springeri

fishsaltwater
2.5″·30+ gal·semi-aggr.
shrimp
Mmedium

Sri Lanka Fan Shrimp

Atya scabra

shrimpfreshwater
2″·20+ gal·peaceful
algae
advanced

Staghorn Algae

Compsopogon sp.

algaefreshwater

Grey-green single strands that branch into antler-like forks — often tangled in plant leaves and filter intakes. Like BBA, it signals CO₂ problems. More responsive to spot-treatment with liquid carbon than BBA. Siamese Algae Eaters will consume it.

moss
Hhard

Star Moss

Tortula ruralis

mossfreshwater

Star Moss (Tortula ruralis) is a terrestrial moss species occasionally used in paludariums and riparian aquascaping, though it is not a true aquatic plant. It features fine, delicate branching with small leaves and a distinctive star-like appearance when viewed from above. This moss is extremely hardy and desiccation-tolerant but struggles when fully submerged for extended periods.

coral
beginner

Star Polyps

Briareum spp.

coralsaltwater
2″·30+ gal·peaceful
plant
intermediate

Starhorn / Hygrophila auriculata

Hygrophila auriculata

plantfreshwater

Distinctive for the sharp, spine-like stipules at each node that give it a starfish or thorny appearance. The leaves are narrow and light green. While not commonly seen in the trade, it creates a striking architectural element in natural-style aquascapes.

fish
beginner

Starry Blenny

Salarias ramosus

fishsaltwater
5″·30+ gal·peaceful
plant
intermediate

Staurogyne Repens

Staurogyne repens

plantfreshwater

Staurogyne repens is a compact, low-growing stem plant with small, bright-green, slightly glossy leaves on creeping stems. Unlike most foreground carpet plants it tolerates moderate rather than high light, and does not require CO2 injection — though both improve density and lateral growth. It can be used as a carpeting plant in lower-tech setups or as a foreground bush, making it one of the most versatile and accessible 'carpet' plants for planted aquariums.

fish
beginner

Sterbai Corydoras

Corydoras sterbai

fishfreshwater
2.5″·20+ gal·group 6+·peaceful
fish
intermediate

Stiphodon Goby

Stiphodon ornatus

fishfreshwater
2″·15+ gal·group 3+·peaceful
snail
beginner

Stomatella Snail

Stomatella varia

snailsaltwater
1″·10+ gal·peaceful
fish
intermediate

Strawberry Betta

Betta albimarginata

fishfreshwater
1.5″·5+ gal·semi-aggr.
fish
beginner

Strawberry Rasbora

Boraras naevus

fishfreshwater
0.7″·5+ gal·group 8+·peaceful
plant
beginner

String Moss

Leptodictyum riparium

plantfreshwater

A stringy, long-stranded moss with thin, delicate shoots that grow in loose, flowing tangles — giving it a wild, natural look unlike the denser Christmas or Java moss. Often used to create shaggy, overgrown effects on driftwood or as a hiding place for fry and shrimp. Also used in Wabi-kusa style arrangements. Grows faster than many mosses and can be difficult to manage if left untrimmed but is very undemanding.

fish
beginner

Striped Panchax

Aplocheilus lineatus

fishfreshwater
4″·20+ gal·semi-aggr.
fish
beginner

Striped Raphael Catfish

Platydoras armatulus

fishfreshwater
9″·50+ gal·peaceful
coral
intermediate

Stylophora

Stylophora spp.

coralsaltwater
2″·50+ gal·peaceful