Cyprinidae
Citron barb
Pethia lutea
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.
Citron barb
Cyprinidae
Clanwilliam redfin
Sedercypris calidus
Austroglanididae
Clanwilliam rock-catfish
Austroglanis gilli
Cyprinidae
Clanwilliam Sandfish
Labeo seeberi
Cyprinidae
Clanwilliam yellowfish
Labeobarbus seeberi
Galaxiidae
Clarence galaxias
Galaxias johnstoni
Cyprinidae
Clear chub
Hybopsis winchelli
Stevardiidae
Clear-finned dragonfin tetra
Pseudocorynopoma stanleyi
Acestrorhamphidae
Clearfin Jupiaba
Jupiaba mucronata
Poeciliidae
Clearfin Livebearer
Poeciliopsis lucida
Salangidae
Clearhead icefish
Protosalanx chinensis
Gobiidae
Cleft-lipped goby
Sicyopterus cynocephalus
Gobiidae
Clifford Pope's Goby
Rhinogobius cliffordpopei
Gobiesocidae
Clingfish
Gobiesox cephalus
Gobiesocidae
Clingfish
Gobiesox potamius
Cyprinidae
Clipper barb
Enteromius callipterus
Mochokidae
Cloudy squeaker
Synodontis nebulosus
Cyprinidae
Clown barb
Barbodes everetti
Notopteridae
Clown featherback
Chitala ornata
Notopteridae
Clown knifefish
Chitala chitala
Botiidae
clown loach
Chromobotia macracanthus
Loricariidae
Clown panaque
Panaqolus maccus
Loricariidae
Clown Peckoltia
Peckoltia vittata
Cyprinidae
Clown rasbora
Rasbora kalochroma
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.