Cyprinidae
Cambodian Puffer
Pao cambodgiensis
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.
Cambodian Puffer
Nothobranchiidae
Cameroon killi
Aphyosemion cameronense
Cyprinidae
Cameroon Logsucker
Garra dembeensis
Poeciliidae
Camisa toothcarp
Cnesterodon brevirostratus
Poeciliidae
Cana toothcarp
Neoheterandria cana
Bagridae
Canara Mystus
Mystus canarensis
Cichlidae
Canara pearlspot
Etroplus canarensis
Gobiidae
Candi River Goby
Rhinogobius candidianus
Trichomycteridae
candiru
Vandellia cirrhosa
Cetopsidae
Candiru-Açu
Cetopsis candiru
Astroblepidae
Canelos climbing catfish
Astroblepus boulengeri
Percidae
Caney fork darter
Nothonotus starnesi
Galaxiidae
Canterbury mudfish
Neochanna burrowsius
Pimelodidae
Capaz
Pimelodus grosskopfii
Cyprinidae
Cape Fear shiner
Notropis mekistocholas
Galaxiidae
Cape galaxias
Galaxias zebratus
Anabantidae
Cape kurper
Sandelia capensis
Cyprinidae
Cape whitefish
Cheilobarbus capensis
Poeciliidae
Capetí toothcarp
Priapichthys darienensis
Serrasalmidae
Carabinani Pacu
Myloplus lucienae
Pseudopimelodidae
Caramel Bumblebee Catfish
Pseudopimelodus magnus
Cyprinodontidae
Carbonera Pupfish
Cyprinodon fontinalis
Characidae
Cardinal Mini Tetra
Serrapinnus notomelas
Nothobranchiidae
Cardinal Nothobranchius
Nothobranchius cardinalis
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.