The letter J is the tenth letter of the alphabet, but it starts more than 10 fish names. If you want to search for common fish names that start with J, you will find that there are plenty of them in the saltwater and freshwater categories, even more than you imagined.
You can check out the contents of our page for a list of names that start with J.
You can start with our top four picks below!
Our Top 4 Fish That Begin With J
Jaguar Catfish
It is only appropriate to start with one of the most interesting fish names beginning with the letter J, Jaguar Catfish. It is a cute fish with markings resembling the black patches on a jaguar’s body.
There are many interesting facts about this fish. One is that its carnivorous nature does not match its peaceful behavior.
Keeping this fish is pretty cool. It would be best to have a planted aquarium if you want to give it a natural experience.
You want to provide shady areas to make it happy.
It is peaceful but tends to get territorial if housed with other members of its kind. It makes audible grunts to signal its displeasure and will fight for its territory.
Japanese Eel
This fish is one of the most important food fish in the Japanese food culture. It is a saltwater fish but spends some time in freshwater bodies.
They live in estuaries and freshwater bodies but will swim miles into the ocean to spawn. After hatching, the young fish are transported back to East Asia by the water current in the open ocean. These young fish start with marine snow in the sea before they reach the glass eel stage.
Jawfish
This is not one of the common pet fish you know. Jawfish is an exotic marine fish in the tropical parts of the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans.
Their body shape, size, and appearance may make you think they are related to Elegant Firefish. They even share the same habitat preference; shallow depths and burrows in reefs. But the truth is that they are not a variety of Elegant Firefish.
This fish is one of the 80 species in the Opistognathidae family. It is a cute fish but not really a fish in the trade.
Jewel Cichlid
This is the last on our list of top four fish, beginning with the letter J. If you wanted jewels for your tank, Jewel Cichlids are the fish to consider. Jewel Cichlid is a very popular aquarium fish species in the hobby.
They come in different varieties with distinct common names. Some varieties include Banded Jewelfish, Turkana Jewel Cichlids, Turquoise Jewel Cichlids, and many more.
It is endemic to some West African countries, where it and many other cichlids are caught for food. But this fish looks way cooler in the aquarium than on the table.
Many aquarists use it as a dither fish. They use Jewel Cichlids to manage aggression and timidity and improve normal fish behavior.
List of Fish Beginning With J
Continue your search by checking these common fish names out!
Freshwater Fish Beginning With J
- Jae Barb (Barbus jae)
- Jaguar Catfish (Liosomadoras oncinus)
- Jaguar Cichlid (Cichlasoma managuense)
- Janssens’ Barb (Barbus janssensi)
- Japanese Eel (Anguilla japonica)
- Jau Catfish (Paulicea lutkeni)
- Jewel Cichlid (Hemichromis bimaculatus)
- Jewel Tetra (Hyphessobrycon eques)
- Johanni Mbuna (Melanochromis johanni)
- Jordan’s Catfish (Arius seemani)
- Julii Corydoras (Corydoras julii)
- Jumping Characin (Copella arnoldi)
Saltwater Fish Beginning With J
- Javelin (Coelorinchus australis)
- Jack (Carangoides bartholomaei)
- Jackfish (Caranx hippos)
- Jawfish (Opistognathus aurifrons)
- Jellynose Fish (Ijimaia plicatellus)
- Jewfish (Epinephelus itajara)
- John Dory (Zeus faber)
Final Thoughts
The content of this post has helped you learn about fish that start with J. But as always, learning does not end, especially since all of nature is not yet discovered. This post is a good place to start.
Image Credit:
- japanaibunka.wordpress.com
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jGazlqZ1wU
At Aquarium Labs, she's dedicated to assisting more people discover pleasure in fishkeeping and teaching them how to develop into expert pet parents.