Cyprinidae
Gold Ring Danio
Danio tinwini
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.
Gold Ring Danio
Acestrorhamphidae
gold tetra
Hemigrammus rodwayi
Poeciliidae
Goldbelly topminnow
Girardinus falcatus
Goodeidae
Goldbreast splitfin
Ilyodon furcidens
Cichlidae
Goldbreast Zebra Cichlid
Maylandia fainzilberi
Cichlidae
Golden acara
Aequidens viridis
Cyprinidae
Golden Arrow Mahseer
Neolissochilus benasi
Cyprinidae
Golden barb
Pethia gelius
Botiidae
golden Chinese loach
Sinibotia superciliaris
Galaxiidae
Golden Galaxias
Galaxias auratus
Eleotridae
Golden gudgeon
Hypseleotris aurea
Cichlidae
Golden julie
Julidochromis ornatus
Cobitidae
Golden Kuhli Loach
Pangio doriae
Poeciliidae
Golden Livebearer
Poeciliopsis baenschi
Cyprinidae
Golden Mahseer Barb
Neolissochilus soroides
Cichlidae
Golden mbuna
Melanochromis auratus
Cichlidae
golden mola hap
Mylochromis incola
Cichlidae
Golden Mudfeeder
Sarotherodon knauerae
Serrasalmidae
golden mylossoma
Mylossoma aureum
Loricariidae
Golden nugget pleco
Baryancistrus xanthellus
Loricariidae
Golden otocinclus
Otocinclus affinis
Lebiasinidae
Golden pencilfish
Nannostomus beckfordi
Percichthyidae
Golden perch
Macquaria ambigua
Nothobranchiidae
Golden pheasant panchax
Callopanchax occidentalis
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.