Loricariidae
Chaetostoma tachiraensis
Chaetostoma tachiraense
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.
Chaetostoma tachiraensis
Cyprinidae
Chaguni
Chagunius chagunio
Poeciliidae
Chain lampeye
Hypsopanchax catenatus
Esocidae
chain pickerel
Esox niger
Percidae
Chainback darter
Percina nevisense
Cyprinidae
chalak barb
Dawkinsia chalakkudiensis
Cichlidae
Chameleon cichlid
Australoheros facetus
Botiidae
Chameleon loach
Syncrossus beauforti
Loricariidae
Chameleon Pixy Catfish
Hisonotus francirochai
Cyprinidae
Chameleon Puffer
Pao turgidus
Loricariidae
Chameleon Whiptail Catfish
Pseudohemiodon apithanos
Poeciliidae
Champoton gambusia
Carlhubbsia kidderi
Cichlidae
Chancho Cichlid
Amphilophus chancho
Cyprinidae
Channa barb
Eechathalakenda ophicephalus
Ictaluridae
channel catfish
Ictalurus punctatus
Percidae
Channel darter
Percina copelandi
Ictaluridae
Chapala Catfish
Ictalurus ochoterenai
Trichomycteridae
Chapman's Pencil Catfish
Trichomycterus chapmani
Goodeidae
Chapultepec Splitfin
Girardinichthys viviparus
Salmonidae
Char
Salvelinus willoughbii
Alestidae
Characin
Alestes dentex
Alestidae
Characin
Brycinus brevis
Curimatidae
Characin
Cyphocharax platanus
Curimatidae
Characin
Cyphocharax spilotus
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.