Fish species that are pink in color are in high demand in the aquarium hobby. Therefore, to keep up with the growing demand, many captive-bred species were crossbred or hybridized to meet the increasing demand.
Given below is a list of such fish.
Fascinating Pink Color Fish
Pink Kissing Gouramis
The kissing gourami, also known as the Kisser, is native to the Indonesian island of Java and is also found in a few Asian countries like Borneo, Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam.
The pink variation is rare in the natural environment.
However, due to the growing demand for color, this species has been selectively bred for the aquarium trade.
Kissing gouramis can be aggressive toward other fish and shouldn’t be housed with smaller fish.
They can be kept in a small community tank with medium-sized fish.
This fish is usually found in slow-moving, densely vegetated ponds or marshes. It can tolerate variation in water conditions.
Pink Convict Cichlids
The pink convict cichlid is native to Central America and can be found in the warm rivers and streams across Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama.
Pink convict cichlids are a result of crossbreeding of the convict cichlids.
So it’s challenging to find a pink convict cichlid in its natural habitat.
Pink convict cichlids have a pink and white color pattern and an oval-shaped body with pointed fins.
The male fish has larger dorsal and anal fins than the females.
Pink convict cichlids are active schooling fish and must be kept in a group of six.
They’re territorial and display aggression when competing for resources, breeding, or protecting their young.
Pink Bettas
Bettas are native to Asia, where they inhabit shallow or slow-moving streams.
This fish is mainly found in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam.
The pink betta isn’t an albino variation.
The pink color is because it has little pigments, which makes the flesh visible through its skin.
If the pink is more intense, the betta often has a brighter, deeper color on its fins and body.
At the same time, this fish will have extra colors along the body and tail, such as whites, purples, and reds.
There are a few varieties of pink bettas specially bred in captivity.
- Clear/Cellophane Bettas: These fish have a light pink coloring, but their coloring doesn’t come from their skin tone. Instead, it comes from the coloring of the inside of the fish visible through its skin.
- Cambodian Bettas: A typical color combination for a Cambodian betta fish is a pale body that is either white, flesh-colored, or pale pink, with bright red fins. However, the fins sometimes can have other colors.
Pink Tuxedo Guppies
Check out how these fish look like over here.
Guppies are native to Northeast South America. They can also be found in Guyana and Brazil.
Guppies prefer freshwater habitats but can live in brackish water.
The pink tuxedo guppy was bred for the pink to red color that covers the silver front half of their body.
The bright pink color is also visible on its dorsal fin and outer edge.
Guppies are pretty easy to breed, even for beginners. An ideal aquarium should have floating plants and cover for them to hide.
These fish are calm and should be housed in a tank with other similar-temperament fish.
Recommended: Fish That Resemble Rocks
Moonrise Pink Glowfish Tetras
Check out how these fish look like over here.
The pink glowfish tetra is native to Paraguay and Guapore basins in Argentina, Bolivia, and Brazil.
It occupies the stagnant and slow-moving streams that are covered with dense vegetation.
Moonrise pink tetras are genetically modified to get the bright pink color due to the demand for the color in the aquarium hobby.
Females are usually bigger and rounder, but males have more pointed dorsal fins than females.
In addition, the female’s skirt is narrower than the male’s and runs parallel to the stomach line.
This species eats both plant matter and meat. They feed on crustaceans, worms, and insects in the wild.
You must feed them live or frozen food like bloodworms or daphnia in captivity.
Pink Jack Dempsey Cichlids
Check out how these fish look like over here.
The Jack Dempsey cichlid is mainly found in the slow-moving freshwater rivers in Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico.
This fish has a large oval body shape, long fins, and a long rounded tail.
Generally, like most cichlids, males tend to be larger than females with longer fins.
The pink Jack Dempsey cichlid is a hybrid color morph of the common Jack Dempsey fish.
Besides pink, they come in various colors, including blue, green, purple, and silver.
Jack Dempsey fish are aggressive and territorial. They don’t like to share space with other species.
So keep tankmates who can handle their aggression.
Albino Pacu Fish
The albino form of the red belly pacu is a rare color morph found in the Amazon river of Colombia.
They’re also known as Vegetarian Piranhas.
Pacu fish have a broad, flat body with fins along their backs and bellies.
Besides the morphed pink, they come in gray, black, white, and silver.
Unlike some fish species with sharp, jagged teeth designed for slicing through their prey, the pacu fish have blunt molars for cracking nuts and grinding plant material.
Pacu fish aren’t aggressive but are known to eat smaller tankmates.
Some recommended tankmates for pacu fish are Arowanas, Pictus Catfish, and Plecos.
Mexican Tetras
The Mexican tetra fish, also known as the Blind Cave Fish or Blind Cave Tetra, is a freshwater fish found in the central and eastern parts of Mexico.
The Mexican tetra is notable for having no pigment; it has a light pinkish-white coloration to its body.
However, the blind variant is reasonably popular among fish keepers.
These fish are peaceful species that spend most of their time in the mid-level of the water above the rocky and sandy bottoms of pools and backwaters in their native environment.
Strawberry Peacock Cichlids
The strawberry peacock cichlid is from east Africa’s southern part of Lake Malawi.
They’re more trendy in aquarium hobby than some other breeds.
The male strawberry peacock cichlid is noted for its bright pink coloration, which is more pronounced in males than females.
However, if this fish feels stressed, the color changes from pink to white.
Wild peacock cichlids live near the bottom of lakes and rivers and are bottom dwellers in aquariums.
They’re active and need ample space for swimming.
These fish are territorial and need space.
In the absence of enough space, they can become aggressive and chase and bite one another.
Checkered Rainbowfish
Check out how these fish look like over here.
The checkered rainbowfish is a small, colorful freshwater fish from the Melanotaeniidae family.
This fish can be widely found in its native home of Northern Australia.
This checkerboard fish has distinctive patterns cut across its colorful body, with silvery blue at the top and iridescence pink at the bottom.
Most species of rainbowfish are active schooling fish and need enough swimming space.
So a 15-gallon elongated tank can help to accommodate 6 or more small rainbows.
A ratio of three female fish to two male fish reduces aggression.
As these fish are peaceful, hardy, and colorful, they should be kept in community tanks with similarly peaceful and friendly fish species.
Pink Flowerhorn
This fish is a hybrid of two different South American cichlids, created especially for the aquarium trade.
It’s also considered a symbol of wealth.
These fish come in all sorts of colors. They can be found in solid gold color or a mix of pinks and greys.
So there is something for everyone.
A male pink flowerhorn generally displays bright colors and more vivid patterns and develops a distinct head hump.
Males also tend to grow slightly longer than females.
Like most cichlids, the flowerhorn is territorial and aggressive.
It can get along with some fish, but it’s more common to find it in one-species aquariums.
Harlequin Rasboras
The harlequin rasbora is a freshwater fish found in Southeast Asia.
This fish is native to Malaysia, Thailand, and Singapore.
Its bright appearance and peaceful demeanor make it a prevalent aquarium fish.
These small rasboras are relatively easy to care for and adapt to most aquarium environments.
The color of its body can vary from a pale pink or bright red to copper orange.
Its body is also adorned with a black triangular marking covering the back half of its side.
Harlequin rasbora live in forest streams and densely vegetated peat swamps with slower water flows.
So it needs a similar environment in home aquariums.
