Cichlidae
Nembwe
Serranochromis jallae
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.
Nembwe
Cichlidae
Neochromis gigas
Haplochromis gigas
Cyprinidae
neon blue rasbora
Sundadanio axelrodi
Gobiidae
Neon goby
Stiphodon semoni
Cyprinidae
Neon Green Rasbora
Microdevario kubotai
Acestrorhamphidae
neon tetra
Paracheirodon innesi
Ictaluridae
Neosho madtom
Noturus placidus
Crenuchidae
Neotropical Darter
Characidium interruptum
Psilorhynchidae
Nepalese minnow
Psilorhynchus pseudecheneis
Cyprinidae
Nepalese snowtrout
Schizothorax macrophthalmus
Cyprinidae
Neretva bleak
Alburnus neretvae
Cyprinidae
Neretva chub
Squalius svallize
Cyprinidae
Neretva rudd
Scardinius plotizza
Cobitidae
Neretva Spined Loach
Cobitis narentana
Mochokidae
Neumann's suckermouth
Chiloglanis neumanni
Cyprinidae
Neumayer's barb
Enteromius neumayeri
Pseudomugilidae
New Guinea blue-eye
Pseudomugil novaeguineae
Plotosidae
New Guinea tandan
Neosilurus novaeguineae
Poeciliidae
New Mexico Gambusia
Gambusia echelleorum
Poeciliidae
Nga lampeye
Plataplochilus ngaensis
Cichlidae
Nguti Cichlid
Etia nguti
Percidae
Niangua darter
Etheostoma nianguae
Dorosomatidae
Nicaragua gizzard shad
Dorosoma chavesi
Nemacheilidae
Nichol's Brook Loach
Schistura nicholsi
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.