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SpeciesScientists Discover Mysterious New Fish in the Red Sea – and Have Never Seen It AgainOceanEye to eye with Britain's hidden sharks at SharkAdemy - OceanographicRiversIn October, biologists surveying a New York harbor for invasive fish pulled up a bright yellow one. It wasn't an invasive species at allOceanShedd Aquarium Sends Shark Eggs to Bolster Wild PopulationsSpeciesA rare fish has been found in Lake Ontario, North America, whose entire body is golden. It is a nati..OceanThe Great Sea Reef Is Fiji’s Wildest Dive, and a New Frontier for ConservationOceanEckerd College professor contributes to designating Biscayne Bay an Important Shark and Ray AreaSpeciesRio Verde Grande Survey Identifies Fifty-Three Fish Species Facing Flow ReductionsFisheriesAdams River Salmon Run in Thompson-NicolaIndiaHilsa production dropped 26% in five years, fisheries minister tells parliamentSpeciesScientists Discover Mysterious New Fish in the Red Sea – and Have Never Seen It AgainOceanEye to eye with Britain's hidden sharks at SharkAdemy - OceanographicRiversIn October, biologists surveying a New York harbor for invasive fish pulled up a bright yellow one. It wasn't an invasive species at allOceanShedd Aquarium Sends Shark Eggs to Bolster Wild PopulationsSpeciesA rare fish has been found in Lake Ontario, North America, whose entire body is golden. It is a nati..OceanThe Great Sea Reef Is Fiji’s Wildest Dive, and a New Frontier for ConservationOceanEckerd College professor contributes to designating Biscayne Bay an Important Shark and Ray AreaSpeciesRio Verde Grande Survey Identifies Fifty-Three Fish Species Facing Flow ReductionsFisheriesAdams River Salmon Run in Thompson-NicolaIndiaHilsa production dropped 26% in five years, fisheries minister tells parliament
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Rivers and lakes

Fresh water: rivers, streams, lakes and ponds. 519 fish on EveryFish so far.

Rivers, lakes, streams and ponds hold less than one per cent of the Earth's water, yet about half of all known fish species live in them. Fresh water is broken into separate basins, and fish that cannot cross between them evolve apart, which is why each river system and lake has its own species. The Amazon, Congo, Mekong and Ganges basins and the great lakes of Africa are the richest.

Life in fresh water

A freshwater fish is saltier inside than the water around it, so it must pump salt in through its gills and pass a lot of dilute urine. Freshwater habitats range from torrential Himalayan streams, where loaches cling to rocks, to warm, still swamps where air-breathing snakeheads, catfish and gouramis thrive. Many river fish time their spawning to floods: the Indian major carps spawn in the monsoon floodwaters, and Mekong fish move into flooded forests.

The most threatened fish

Freshwater fish are declining faster than sea fish. A 2021 report by conservation groups found that about a third of freshwater fish species are threatened with extinction and that 80 had already been declared extinct. Dams block migrations, water is drawn off for farms and cities, pollution and sand mining degrade rivers, and introduced species such as tilapia and African catfish compete with native fish. In India, the rivers of the Western Ghats and the North-East hold many endemic fish at risk.

Famous rivers and lakes fish

RohuA river carp of the Indian subcontinentArapaimaAn air-breathing giant of the AmazonMekong giant catfishOne of the largest freshwater fishGolden mahseerThe golden mahseer of Himalayan riversNile perchA huge predator of African lakesRed-bellied piranhaA schooling fish of South American riversZebrafishA small fish of South Asian streams

Further reading

GroupSharkRayCarpCatfishSalmonidHerringCodTunaPerch-likeCichlidReef fishEelFlatfishLivebearerAncientOther
UseFood fishFarmedAquarium fishSport fishingCulture and faithVenomous or dangerousInvasiveScience and research
OrderBest knownA to ZOldest firstNewest firstBy size
WorldSawfish Large rays with a toothed rostrum found in tropical coastal waters.Ray · Coasts and shelves 🇿🇦 South Africa and 4 moreSmallmouth yellowfish A hardy sport fish native to South Africa's Orange-Vaal river system.Carp · Rivers and lakes 🇹🇭 Thailand and 3 moreGiant freshwater stingray The widest freshwater fish in the world, found in Southeast Asian rivers.Ray · Rivers and lakes · 1852 🇺🇸 United States and 3 morePacific angelshark A flat-bodied ambush shark of the eastern Pacific coast.Shark · Coasts and shelves · 1859 🇿🇦 South AfricaClanwilliam yellowfish A golden-hued river fish from South Africa's Cederberg.Carp · Rivers and lakes WorldMullet A worldwide family of coastal ray-finned fish known for their distinct dorsal fins and historical culinary value.Other · Coasts and shelves 🇹🇷 Turkey and 4 moreAnchovy Small, oily forage fish found in oceans and some rivers worldwide.Herring · Coasts and shelves 🇿🇦 South Africa and 2 moreLargemouth yellowfish Large freshwater barb from southern African rivers.Carp · Rivers and lakes 🇺🇸 United States and 1 moreEulachon A small anadromous smelt known for its high fat content and cultural importance in Pacific North America.Other · Rivers and lakes 🇩🇪 Germany and 4 moreEuropean smelt Small coastal fish with a cucumber scentOther · Rivers and lakes 🇺🇸 United States and 2 moreAmerican eel A catadromous fish that migrates between North American rivers and the Sargasso Sea to spawn.Eel · Rivers and lakes 🇫🇮 Finland and 4 moreVendace Small freshwater whitefish of northern EuropeSalmonid · Rivers and lakes North AmericaAtlantic croaker Noisy marine fish of the western Atlantic coastOther · Coasts and shelves EuropeEuropean flounder A right-eyed flatfish found in European coastal waters and rivers.Flatfish · Rivers and lakes 🇿🇦 South Africa and 4 moreMozambique tilapia A hardy cichlid from southeastern Africa, now farmed globally and listed as a major invasive species.Cichlid · Rivers and lakes 🇺🇸 United States and 2 moreChannel catfish A widespread North American freshwater catfish, prized for food and sport.Catfish · Rivers and lakes · 1819 🇮🇪 IrelandTwait shad Anadromous herring-like fish with flank spotsHerring · Rivers and lakes 🇷🇺 Russia and 4 moreNorthern pike A large freshwater ambush predator found across the Northern Hemisphere.Other · Rivers and lakes · 1758 🇷🇺 Russia and 4 moreEuropean perch A greenish freshwater predator native to Europe and North Asia.Perch-like · Rivers and lakes · 1758 EuropeAllis shad Anadromous Atlantic fish with a dark gill spot.Herring · Rivers and lakes 🇨🇦 Canada and 1 moreLake whitefish A cool-water freshwater fish from North America.Salmonid · Rivers and lakes WorldGiant catfish Large estuarine catfish found across the Indo-Pacific.Catfish · Estuaries and mangroves · 1837 🇧🇮 Burundi and 3 moreNingu A freshwater carp found in Lake Victoria and its tributaries.Carp · Rivers and lakes WorldNorthern whiting A widespread marine fish found in the Indo-Pacific, known for its silvery body and ability to bury itself in sand.Other · Coasts and shelves · 1775 Common ponyfish WorldCommon ponyfish A small, silvery marine fish found in Indo-Pacific coastal waters.Other · Coasts and shelves WorldBloch's gizzard shad Small anadromous fish found across the Indo-West Pacific.Herring · Rivers and lakes · 1795 WorldTanganyika lates Large predatory perch from Lake TanganyikaPerch-like · Rivers and lakes WorldBartail flathead A widespread marine flathead found across the Indo-Pacific.Other · Coasts and shelves · 1758 🇮🇳 India and 4 moreClimbing perch Amphibious freshwater fish capable of breathing air and moving on land.Other · Rivers and lakes · 1792 🇮🇳 India and 4 moreAsian stinging catfish A small freshwater catfish with a painful stingCatfish · Rivers and lakes WorldGuntea loach A small Asian loach that breathes through its gut to survive in poor water.Other · Rivers and lakes 🇵🇰 Pakistan and 4 moreSwamp barb Small tropical freshwater fish from South AsiaCarp · Rivers and lakes 🇵🇰 Pakistan and 2 moreDwarf gourami Small South Asian freshwater fish with vibrant colours.Other · Rivers and lakes Banded gourami 🇧🇩 Bangladesh and 4 moreBanded gourami Small tropical air-breathing fish with striped patternsPerch-like · Rivers and lakes · 1801 🇮🇳 IndiaSun catfish A yellow catfish with a black shoulder spot from India.Catfish · Rivers and lakes 🇮🇳 IndiaPondicherry shark A rare, small grey requiem shark from Indo-Pacific coasts.Shark · Coasts and shelves · 1839 WorldStriped mullet A widespread coastal food fish found in tropical and temperate seas.Other · Rivers and lakes WorldMangrove red snapper Large Indo-Pacific snapper found in mangroves and reefsPerch-like · Rivers and lakes · 1775 WorldIndo-Pacific tarpon A migratory fish found in Indo-Pacific fresh and salt waters.Other · Rivers and lakes WorldJarbua terapon A striped Indo-Pacific fish found in seas and rivers.Other · Rivers and lakes · 1775 🇦🇫 Afghanistan and 4 moreSpotted snakehead Small carnivorous fish from South AsiaOther · Rivers and lakes 🇮🇷 Iran and 4 moreDwarf snakehead Small freshwater fish native to southern AsiaOther · Rivers and lakes 🇦🇫 Afghanistan and 4 moreGiant river-catfish Large bagrid catfish from South Asian riversCatfish · Rivers and lakes WorldFourfinger threadfin A large marine threadfin found in the Indo-Pacific.Other · Coasts and shelves 🇮🇳 India and 4 moreLong-whiskered catfish Large Asian catfish prized for food and sport.Catfish · Rivers and lakes 🇮🇳 India and 1 moreGoonch catfish A massive river catfish native to South Asia.Catfish · Rivers and lakes 🇮🇳 India and 1 morePengba A ray-finned fish native to Manipur and Myanmar.Carp · Rivers and lakes Schizothorax plagiostomus 🇨🇳 China and 4 moreSchizothorax plagiostomus A high-altitude cyprinid from the Himalayan rivers.Carp · Rivers and lakes
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