Aspredinidae
Colombian Banjo
Bunocephalus colombianus
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.
Colombian Banjo
Bryconidae
Colombian Brycon
Brycon posadae
Stevardiidae
Colombian Characin
Creagrutus affinis
Bryconidae
Colombian Dorado
Salminus affinis
Loricariidae
Colombian Stream Pleco
Hypostomus wilsoni
Acestrorhamphidae
Colombian Tetra
Hyphessobrycon columbianus
Cyprinidae
Colorado Pikeminnow
Ptychocheilus lucius
Channidae
Colored snakehead
Channa pulchra
Cottidae
Columbia sculpin
Cottus hubbsi
Cyprinodontidae
Comanche Springs pupfish
Cyprinodon elegans
Astroblepidae
Comberciato climbing catfish
Astroblepus mancoi
Osphronemidae
Combtail
Belontia signata
Cyprinidae
Comely Shiner
Notropis amoenus
Poeciliidae
Comma Swordtail
Xiphophorus signum
Achiridae
Common Freshwater Sole
Catathyridium jenynsii
Gobionidae
Common Gudgeon
Gobio nigrescens
Gasteropelecidae
Common hatchetfish
Gasteropelecus sternicla
Cyprinidae
Common labeo
Labeo dussumieri
Cichlidae
Common Natron tilapia
Oreochromis alcalicus
Cyprinidae
Common rasbora
Rasbora vulgaris
Galaxiidae
Common river galaxias
Galaxias vulgaris
Cyprinidae
Common Shiner
Luxilus cornutus
Cobitidae
Common Spined Loach
Acanthopsis taenia
Cobitidae
Common spiny loach
Lepidocephalichthys thermalis
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.