Curimatidae
Characin
Cyphocharax voga
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.
Characin
Anostomidae
Characin
Leporinus amblyrhynchus
Anostomidae
Characin
Leporinus striatus
Anostomidae
Characin
Megaleporinus obtusidens
Curimatidae
Characin
Potamorhina squamoralevis
Anostomidae
Characin
Schizodon borellii
Anostomidae
Characin
Schizodon fasciatus
Anostomidae
Characin
Schizodon platae
Curimatidae
Characin
Steindachnerina biornata
Curimatidae
Characin
Steindachnerina brevipinna
Cyprinodontidae
Charco Palma pupfish
Cyprinodon veronicae
Galaxiidae
Chathams Galaxias
Neochanna rekohua
Centrarchidae
Chattahoochee bass
Micropterus chattahoochae
Cottidae
Chattahoochee Sculpin
Cottus chattahoochee
Nothobranchiidae
Chauche's Aphysemion
Aphyosemion chauchei
Cyprinidae
Cheat minnow
Pararhinichthys bowersi
Cichlidae
Checkerboard cichlid
Crenicara punctulata
Nemacheilidae
Checkerboard zipper loach
Paracanthocobitis adelaideae
Cyprinidae
Checkered barb
Oliotius oligolepis
Ictaluridae
Checkered madtom
Noturus flavater
Erethistidae
Cheetah Catfish
Erethistoides sicula
Cyprinidae
Chengdu chub
Zacco chengtui
Cyprinidae
Chennai Sawfin Barb
Pethia sharmai
Percidae
Cherokee darter
Etheostoma scotti
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.