Lebiasinidae
Banded pyrrhulina
Pyrrhulina vittata
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.
Banded pyrrhulina
Melanotaeniidae
banded rainbowfish
Melanotaenia trifasciata
Cottidae
Banded sculpin
Cottus carolinae
Centrarchidae
Banded sunfish
Enneacanthus obesus
Cichlidae
Banded tilapia
Tilapia sparrmanii
Fundulidae
Banded topminnow
Fundulus cingulatus
Percidae
Bandfin darter
Etheostoma zonistium
Cyprinidae
Bandfin shiner
Luxilus zonistius
Goodeidae
Bandfin Splitfin
Allodontichthys zonistius
Cichlidae
Bandit Cichlid
Guianacara geayi
Callichthyidae
Bandit corydoras
Corydoras melini
Trichomycteridae
Bandit Pencil Catfish
Trichomycterus taenia
Acestrorhamphidae
Bandit Tetra
Moenkhausia conspicua
Acestrorhamphidae
Bandtail tetra
Moenkhausia dichroura
Cyprinidae
Bandula barb
Pethia bandula
Mormyridae
Bane Mormyrid
Petrocephalus bane
Cyprinidae
Bangka rasbora
Rasbora bankanensis
Channidae
Bangka snakehead
Channa bankanensis
Aspredinidae
Banjo
Dupouyichthys sapito
Aspredinidae
Banjo
Xyliphius kryptos
Aspredinidae
Banjo Catfish
Acanthobunocephalus nicoi
Aspredinidae
Banjo Catfish
Ernstichthys intonsus
Aspredinidae
Banjo Catfish
Hoplomyzon atrizona
Aspredinidae
Banjo Catfish
Xyliphius lepturus
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.