Cyprinidae
Manipur garra
Garra manipurensis
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.
Manipur garra
Cyprinidae
Manipur Kingfish
Semiplotus manipurensis
Cyprinidae
Manipur osteobrama
Osteobrama belangeri
Osphronemidae
Manis Mata Licorice Gourami
Parosphromenus quindecim
Astroblepidae
Mantaro climbing catfish
Astroblepus praeliorum
Cichlidae
Many-banded shell dweller
Neolamprologus multifasciatus
Cyprinidae
Manyas shemaya
Alburnus carinatus
Cyprinidae
Manyas sprilin
Alburnoides manyasensis
Anabantidae
Manyspined ctenopoma
Ctenopoma multispine
Pimelodidae
Mapará
Hypophthalmus marginatus
Gobiidae
Maracaibo Goby
Gobiosoma schultzi
Potamotrygonidae
Maracaibo river stingray
Potamotrygon yepezi
Cichlidae
Marakely Cichlid
Paratilapia polleni
Cyprinidae
Marathon minnow
Pelasgus marathonicus
Cichlidae
Maravichromis melanotaenia
Mylochromis melanotaenia
Percidae
Marbled Darter
Etheostoma marmorpinnum
Gasteropelecidae
Marbled hatchetfish
Carnegiella strigata
Anostomidae
Marbled headstander
Abramites hypselonotus
Protopteridae
Marbled lungfish
Protopterus aethiopicus
Nothobranchiidae
Marbled lyretail
Fundulopanchax marmoratus
Amphiliidae
Marbled mountain catfish
Amphilius jacksonii
Cottidae
Marbled sculpin
Cottus klamathensis
Poeciliidae
Marbled Swordtail
Xiphophorus meyeri
Doradidae
Marbled Talking Catfish
Amblydoras nauticus
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.