Cyprinidae
Boggut Labeo
Labeo boggut
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
SCROLL
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.
Boggut Labeo
Nothobranchiidae
Boji Plains nothobranch
Nothobranchius bojiensis
Goodeidae
Bold Characodon
Characodon audax
Cichlidae
Bolivian Cichlid
Cichlasoma boliviense
Cichlidae
Bolivian Peacock Bass
Cichla pleiozona
Cichlidae
Bolivian Ram Cichlid
Mikrogeophagus altispinosus
Doradidae
Bolivian thorny catfish
Trachydoras steindachneri
Acestrorhamphidae
Bolivian Toothy
Oligosarcus bolivianus
Cyprinodontidae
Bolson pupfish
Cyprinodon atrorus
Pimelodidae
Bolt Catfish
Aguarunichthys torosus
Synbranchidae
Bombay swampeel
Ophichthys indicus
Adrianichthyidae
Bonnes’ Butingi
Oryzias bonneorum
Salmonidae
Bonneville cisco
Prosopium gemmifer
Salmonidae
Bonneville whitefish
Prosopium spilonotus
Cyprinidae
Bonylip barb
Osteochilus microcephalus
Cyprinidae
Bonylip barb
Osteochilus vittatus
Cyprinidae
Bonytail
Gila elegans
Cyprinidae
Boopis razorbelly minnow
Salmostoma boopis
Astroblepidae
Boquia climbing catfish
Astroblepus chapmani
Cyprinidae
Borax Lake Chub
Epizon boraxobius
Cyprinidae
Bordallo
Squalius carolitertii
Cyprinidae
Border barb
Amatolacypris trevelyani
Channidae
Borna snakehead
Channa amphibeus
Tetraodontidae
Bornean Redeye Puffer
Carinotetraodon borneensis
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.