Pomacanthidae
Japanese angelfish
Centropyge interrupta
FISH SPECIES
Asian Fish
The aquatic fauna of Asia represents one of the most evolutionarily diverse continental assemblages on Earth, shaped by tectonic collisions, monsoon hydrology, and deep biogeographic divides. Stretching from the subarctic Siberian drainages to the equatorial peat swamps of Sundaland, the continent encompasses thousands of endemic fish species adapted to radically disparate physical environments.
FISH ATLAS / FIELD GUIDEAsian FishIN THIS CHAPTER01 / Characteristics02 / Lifestyle03 / Species04 / Field notes
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01 / NATURAL HISTORY
Characteristics
Nowhere is the dynamic nature of Asian riverine ecology clearer than in the Mekong River basin. Draining the Tibetan Plateau through six nations before emptying into the South China Sea, the Mekong supports the second-richest freshwater fish fauna in the world after the Amazon, harboring more than a thousand cataloged species.
- 01The Mekong Basin: A Monsoonal Pulse of Megadiversity
- 02Wallace's Line and the Archipelago Faunal Divide
- 03Morphological Adaptations: The Labyrinth Organ and Air Breathing
02 / LIFESTYLE
Lifestyle
In Southeast Asia, historical sea levels and tectonic boundaries have produced sharp faunal contrasts across short geographic distances. During Pleistocene glacial maxima, lower sea levels exposed the Sunda Shelf, physically linking modern Borneo, Sumatra, Java, and the Malay Peninsula into a single contiguous landmass known as Sundaland. Freshwater fishes, particularly the species-rich families Cyprinidae (carps and minnows), Siluridae (catfishes), and Osphronemidae (gouramis), expanded freely across ancient river valleys that are now submerged beneath the South China Sea.
OBSERVATION INDEX
- Morphological Adaptations: The Labyrinth Organ and Air Breathing
- East Asian Endemics and Ancient Basal Lineages
- Anthropogenic Pressures and Conservation in Asian Watersheds
03 / SPECIES
Representative species
Discover representative species illustrating the ecological diversity, morphologies and adaptations of this group.
Japanese angelfish
Squatinidae
Japanese angelshark
Squatina japonica
Anthiadidae
Japanese Anthias
Pseudanthias nobilis
Cepolidae
Japanese bandfish
Cepola schlegelii
Sphyraenidae
Japanese barracuda
Sphyraena japonica
Paralepididae
Japanese barracudina
Lestrolepis japonica
Priacanthidae
Japanese bigeye
Pristigenys niphonia
Sebastidae
Japanese Black Seaperch
Sebastes ventricosus
Tripterygiidae
Japanese blacktail triplefin
Springerichthys bapturus
Gobiesocidae
Japanese Butterfly Clingfish
Propherallodus briggsi
Chaetodontidae
Japanese butterflyfish
Chaetodon nippon
Gymnuridae
Japanese butterflyray
Gymnura japonica
Pomacentridae
Japanese chromis
Chromis mirationis
Bregmacerotidae
Japanese codlet
Bregmaceros japonicus
Moridae
Japanese codling
Physiculus japonicus
Labridae
Japanese Coris
Coris musume
Ophidiidae
Japanese cusk
Glyptophidium japonicum
Cyprinidae
Japanese Dark Chub
Nipponocypris sieboldii
Callionymidae
Japanese darter dragonet
Callionymus planus
Gobiidae
Japanese dwarfgoby
Eviota japonica
Myliobatidae
Japanese eagle ray
Myliobatis tobijei
Anthiadidae
Japanese Fairy Basslet
Tosanoides filamentosus
Platycephalidae
Japanese flathead
Inegocia japonica
Cottidae
Japanese fluvial sculpin
Cottus pollux
04 / FIELD NOTES
A closer look
Is this a complete species list?
No. These are available published records with images, not an exhaustive inventory or a measure of abundance.
How can I check a claim?
Follow the scientific name and source, check the scope of the evidence, and send a correction with the exact claim if needed.