Cobitidae
Jadova Spined Loach
Cobitis jadovaensis
FISH SPECIES
Freshwater Fish
Freshwater fish spend all or part of their lives in rivers, lakes, streams and wetlands. The label describes an environment, not one branch of the fish family tree, so freshwater species include many unrelated shapes and lineages.
FISH ATLAS / FIELD GUIDEFreshwater FishIN THIS CHAPTER01 / Characteristics02 / Lifestyle03 / Species04 / Field notes
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01 / NATURAL HISTORY
Characteristics
Freshwater habitats contain far less salt than seawater and can change quickly with seasons, floods and drought. Fish living there use many different strategies, from streamlined bodies for current to barbels that help find food near the bottom.
- 01River fish
- 02Lake fish
- 03Stream fish
02 / LIFESTYLE
Lifestyle
Life in freshwater follows the movement of water and food. Some fish hold position in a current and intercept drifting prey; others search plants or sediment for a meal. Changes in flow and water level can open feeding grounds or trigger movements toward spawning areas. These behaviors reflect how fish balance hydrodynamic energy expenditure against food intake.
OBSERVATION INDEX
- Holding position in a current
- Feeding among plants or sediment
- Movement with changing water levels
03 / SPECIES
Representative species
Discover representative species illustrating the ecological diversity, morphologies and adaptations of this group.
Jadova Spined Loach
Cyprinidae
Jae barb
Enteromius jae
Auchenipteridae
Jaguar catfish
Liosomadoras oncinus
Cichlidae
Jaguar guapote
Parachromis managuensis
Botiidae
Jaguar loach
Yasuhikotakia splendida
Loricariidae
Jaguar Pleco
Hypostomus gymnorhynchus
Parodontidae
Jaguaribe Characin
Apareiodon davisi
Cyprinidae
Jalisco chub
Yuriria alta
Cyprinodontidae
Jamaican killifish
Cubanichthys pengelleyi
Engraulidae
James's anchovy
Anchoviella jamesi
Ailiidae
Jamuna ailia
Ailiichthys punctata
Poeciliidae
Jandira toothcarp
Poecilia sarrafae
Poeciliidae
January toothcarp
Phalloptychus januarius
Cyprinidae
Japanese Dark Chub
Nipponocypris sieboldii
Anguillidae
Japanese eel
Anguilla japonica
Cottidae
Japanese fluvial sculpin
Cottus pollux
Cyprinidae
Japanese Silver Crucian Carp
Carassius langsdorfii
Cobitidae
Japanese spinous loach
Cobitis takatsuensis
Cobitidae
Japanese striped loach
Cobitis biwae
Cyprinidae
Japanese white crucian carp
Carassius cuvieri
Poeciliidae
Jaquiá toothcarp
Phalloceros lucenorum
Cyprinodontidae
Jaragua Pupfish
Cyprinodon nichollsi
Cichlidae
Jari Peacock Bass
Cichla jariina
Cyprinidae
Java Barb
Barbonymus gonionotus
04 / FIELD NOTES
A closer look
What makes a fish freshwater?
It is recorded from inland waters with low salinity for all or part of its life cycle.
Are all freshwater fish closely related?
No. Freshwater is a habitat category that includes many separate evolutionary groups.
Can freshwater fish survive in seawater?
Most cannot; without physiological adaptations to excrete excess salt, their cells rapidly lose water through osmosis and dehydrate in hypertonic seawater.