Bagridae
Kokuni
Chrysichthys cranchii
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.
Kokuni
Bagridae
Kokuni
Chrysichthys delhezi
Bagridae
Kokuni
Chrysichthys duttoni
Bagridae
Kokuni
Chrysichthys habereri
Bagridae
Kokuni
Chrysichthys laticeps
Aphaniidae
Kol tooth-carp
Esmaeilius darabensis
Mormyridae
Kolente stonebasher
Hippopotamyrus paugyi
Cyprinidae
Kolus
Hypselobarbus kolus
Cyprinidae
Konavle dace
Telestes miloradi
Poeciliidae
Kongoro lampeye
Lacustricola kongoranensis
Cichlidae
konye
Konia eisentrauti
Cyprinidae
Korean bittering
Tanakia signifer
Gobionidae
Korean bluish shinner
Coreoleuciscus aeruginos
Cyprinidae
Korean Dark Chub
Nipponocypris koreanus
Petromyzontidae
Korean lamprey
Eudontomyzon morii
Cyprinidae
Korean Oily Bitterling
Tanakia koreensis
Cyprinidae
Korean rose bitterling
Rhodeus uyekii
Cottidae
Korean Sculpin
Cottus koreanus
Gobionidae
Korean southern gudgeon
Microphysogobio koreensis
Gobionidae
Korean Splendid Dace
Coreoleuciscus splendidus
Cobitidae
Korean stripe spine loach
Cobitis tetralineata
Cyprinidae
Korean Striped Bitterling
Acheilognathus yamatsutae
Bagridae
Korean stumpy bullhead
Coreobagrus brevicorpus
Cyprinidae
Korhi Barb
Hypselobarbus micropogon
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.