Ariidae
Highfin catfish
Neoarius berneyi
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.
Highfin catfish
Cyprinidae
Highfin Shiner
Notropis altipinnis
Mochokidae
Highfin Synodontis
Synodontis velifer
Percidae
Highland darter
Etheostoma teddyroosevelt
Percidae
Highland Rim darter
Etheostoma kantuckeense
Cyprinidae
Highland Shiner
Notropis micropteryx
Goodeidae
Highland splitfin
Hubbsina turneri
Cyprinidae
Highland stoneroller
Campostoma spadiceum
Poeciliidae
Highland Swordtail
Xiphophorus malinche
Melanotaeniidae
Highlands rainbowfish
Chilatherina campsi
Pimelodidae
Highwaterman catfish
Hypophthalmus edentatus
Cyprinidae
Hijaz garra
Garra tibanica
Mormyridae
Hildebrandt's elephant-snout fish
Mormyrus hildebrandti
Cyprinidae
Hilgendorf's Puffer
Pao hilgendorfii
Alestidae
Hilgendorf's Tetra
Alestopetersius hilgendorfi
Cyprinidae
Hill trout
Schizothorax plagiostomus
Balitoridae
Hillstream loach
Gastromyzon punctulatus
Chaudhuriidae
Hillstream spineless eel
Pillaia indica
Nemacheilidae
Hillstream zipper loach
Paracanthocobitis abutwebi
Ambassidae
Himalayan glassy perchlet
Parambassis baculis
Olyridae
Himalayan olyra
Olyra longicaudata
Nemacheilidae
Hircan crested loach
Paracobitis hircanica
Poeciliidae
Hispaniola molly
Poecilia hispaniolana
Poeciliidae
Hispaniolan gambusia
Gambusia hispaniolae
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.