Species of the Freshwater Zone

Garra rufa is a bottom-dwelling fish from the Middle East that inhabits fast-flowing rivers. It feeds mainly on algae and periphyton and is also known for its behaviour of grazing on dead skin.

• Taxonomy:
  • Class: Actinopterygii
    
  • Order: Cypriniformes
    
  • Family: Cyprinidae
    
  • Species: Garra rufa (Heckel, 1843)
• Population and conservation:
  • IUCN status: Least Concern (LC)
  • CITES: Not applicable

Hyphessobrycon eques, also known as the Serpae tetra, is a small South American schooling fish. It is recognisable by its intense red colour, black spot behind the gill covers and black dorsal fin edged with white.

• Taxonomy:
  • Class: Actinopterygii
    
  • Order: Characiformes
    
  • Family: Characidae
    
  • Species: Hyphessobrycon eques (Steindachner, 1882)
• Population and conservation:
  • IUCN status: Not Evaluated (NE)
  • CITES: Not applicable

Hypostomus plecostomus is a South American bottom-dwelling catfish that is mainly active at night and protected by bony plates. It uses its sucker-like mouth to attach itself to surfaces and graze on algae.

• Taxonomy:
  • Class: Actinopterygii
    
  • Order: Siluriformes
    
  • Family: Loricariidae
    
  • Species: Hypostomus plecostomus (Linnaeus, 1758)
• Population and conservation :
  • IUCN status: Not Evaluated (NE)
  • CITES : Not applicable

Pygocentrus nattereri is a South American piranha recognisable by its powerful jaws and sharp teeth. It lives in groups and plays an important role as an opportunistic predator and scavenger.

• Taxonomy:
  • Class: Actinopterygii
    
  • Order: Characiformes
    
  • Family: Serrasalmidae
    
  • Species: Pygocentrus nattereri (Kner, 1858)
• Population and conservation :
  • IUCN status: Not Evaluated (NE)
  • CITES: Not applicable

Phractocephalus hemioliopterus is a large South American catfish recognisable by its massive head, long barbels and bright red tail. It feeds on fish, crustaceans and fruits that fall into the water.

• Taxonomy:
  • Class: Actinopterygii
    
  • Order: Siluriformes
    
  • Family: Pimelodidae
    
  • Species: Phractocephalus hemioliopterus (Bloch & Schneider, 1801)
• Population and conservation:
  • IUCN status: Not Evaluated (NE)
  • CITES: Not applicable

Piaractus brachypomus is a large Amazonian fish that is often mistaken for a piranha when young. It is primarily frugivorous and granivorous and plays an important role in dispersing seeds in flooded forests.

• Taxonomy:
  • Class: Actinopterygii
    
  • Order: Characiformes
    
  • Family: Serrasalmidae
    
  • Species: Piaractus brachypomus (Cuvier, 1818)
• Population and conservation :
  • IUCN status: Not Evaluated (NE)
  • CITES: Not applicable

Amphilophus citrinellus is a large cichlid native to the lakes of Nicaragua. It occurs in a wide variety of colours and is known for its territorial and aggressive behaviour, particularly during the breeding season.

• Taxonomy:
  • Class: Actinopterygii
    
  • Order: Cichliformes
    
  • Family: Cichlidae
    
  • Species: Amphilophus citrinellus (Günther, 1864)
• Population and conservation:
  • IUCN status: Least Concern (LC)
  • CITES: Not applicable

Chromobotia macracanthus, also known as the clown loach, is a fish from Sumatra and Borneo. It is recognisable by its bright orange body crossed by black bands and by the subocular spines that it can raise when stressed.

• Taxonomy:
  • Class: Actinopterygii
    
  • Order: Cypriniformes
    
  • Family: Botiidae
    
  • Species: Chromobotia macracanthus (Bleeker, 1852)
• Population and conservation:
  • IUCN status: Not Evaluated (NE)
  • CITES: Not applicable

Osphronemus goramy is a large gourami from Southeast Asia that inhabits slow-moving waters, swamps and lakes. It can breathe atmospheric air thanks to its labyrinth organ.

• Taxonomie:
  • Class: Actinopterygii
    
  • Order: Anabantiformes
    
  • Family: Osphronemidae
    
  • Species: Osphronemus goramy (Lacepède, 1801)
• Population and conservation :
  • IUCN status: Least Concern (LC)

Pangasianodon hypophthalmus is a large migratory catfish from Southeast Asia, commonly known as pangasius. It inhabits major rivers such as the Mekong and is widely farmed in aquaculture.

• Taxonomy:
  • Class: Actinopterygii
  • Order: Siluriformes
  • Family: Pangasiidae
• Population and conservation :
  • IUCN status: Endangered (EN)

Synodontis eupterus is a Central African catfish recognisable by its large, sail-like dorsal fin. It is also known for occasionally swimming upside down.

• Taxonomy:
  • Class: Actinopterygii
  • Order: Siluriformes
  • Family: Mochokidae
• Population and conservation :
  • IUCN status: Least Concern (LC)

Trichopodus trichopterus is a very common aquarium fish that occurs in several colour forms. Males can be territorial and build bubble nests for reproduction.

• Taxonomy:
  • Class: Actinopterygii
    
  • Order: Anabantiformes
    
  • Family: Osphronemidae
    
  • Species: Trichopodus trichopterus
• Population and conservation :
  • IUCN status: Least Concern (LC)
  • CITES : Not applicable
  • EEP : Not applicable

The Melanotaeniidae, or rainbowfishes, are freshwater and brackish-water fishes found mainly in Australia, New Guinea and Southeast Asia. They are known for their vivid colours and generally live in groups in rivers, lakes, lagoons and vegetated areas.

• Taxonomy:
  • Class: Actinopterygii
    
  • Order: Atheriniformes
    
  • Family: Melanotaeniidae
    
  • Species: Melanotaeniidae sp.
• Population and conservation :
  • IUCN status: Not Evaluated (NE)
  • CITES: Not applicable
  • EEP: Not applicable

Poecilia wingei is a small livebearing fish from Venezuela. It is smaller than the common guppy, and the males are brightly coloured with orange, black and metallic green patterns.

• Taxonomy:
  • Class: Actinopterygii
  • Order: Cyprinodontiformes
  • Family: Poeciliidae
• Population and conservation :
  • IUCN status: Not Evaluated (NE)
  • CITES: Not applicable
  • EEP: Not applicable

Pseudomugil are small schooling fish from Oceania. They are recognisable by their bright blue eyes and the often highly developed fins of the males.

• Taxonomy:
  • Class: Actinopterygii
  • Order: Atheriniformes
  • Family: Pseudomugilidae
• Population and conservation :
  • IUCN status: Varies by species
  • CITES: Not applicable
  • EEP: Not applicable

Tateurndina ocellicauda is a small, colourful fish from Papua New Guinea. It is appreciated for its iridescent colours and its cavity-spawning behaviour, with the male guarding the eggs.

• Taxonomy:
  • Class: Actinopterygii
  • Order: Gobiiformes
  • Family: Eleotridae
• Population and conservation :
  • IUCN status: Least Concern (LC)
  • CITES: Not applicable
  • EEP: Not applicable

Corydoras sterbai is a small bottom-dwelling fish from Brazil. It is recognisable by its white spots and orange fins, lives in groups and searches the substrate for food using its barbels.

• Taxonomy:
  • Class: Actinopterygii
    
  • Order: Siluriformes
    
  • Family: Callichthyidae
    
  • Species: Corydoras sterbai (Knaack, 1962)
• Population and conservation :
  • IUCN status: Not Evaluated (NE)
  • CITES: Not applicable

Geophagus are South American cichlids commonly known as “eartheaters”. They take sand into their mouths and sift it to extract small invertebrates and organic matter.

• Taxonomy:
  • Class: Actinopterygii
    
  • Order: Cichliformes
    
  • Family: Cichlidae
    
  • Species: Geophagus (Heckel, 1840)
• Population and conservation :
  • IUCN status: Not Evaluated (NE)
  • CITES: Not applicable
  • EEP: Not applicable

The genus Hoplosternum includes South American catfishes protected by two rows of bony plates along their sides. They can breathe atmospheric air through their intestines, allowing them to survive in very poorly oxygenated waters.

• Taxonomy:
  • Class: Actinopterygii
    
  • Order: Siluriformes
    
  • Family: Callichthyidae
    
  • Genus: Hoplosternum (Gill, 1858)
• Population and conservation :
  • IUCN status: Not Evaluated (NE)
  • CITES: Not applicable
  • EEP: Not applicable

Panaque are South American catfishes capable of scraping and consuming wood with their robust teeth. Symbiotic bacteria in their digestive system help them process this food.

• Taxonomy:
  • Class: Actinopterygii
    
  • Order: Siluriformes
    
  • Family: Loricariidae
    
  • Genus: Panaque (Eigenmann & Eigenmann, 1889)
• Population and conservation :
  • IUCN status: Not Evaluated (NE)
  • CITES: Not applicable
  • EEP: Not applicable

Paracheirodon axelrodi is a small South American tetra that lives in acidic blackwater habitats. It is recognisable by the continuous red stripe running along the entire lower half of its body.

• Taxonomy:
  • Class: Actinopterygii
    
  • Order: Characiformes
    
  • Family: Characidae
    
  • Species: Paracheirodon axelrodi (Schultz, 1956)
• Population and conservation :
  • IUCN status: Not Evaluated (NE)
  • CITES: Not applicable

Hemigrammus bleheri is a small South American tetra often confused with H. rhodostomus. It is recognisable by the red colour of its head extending beyond the gill covers and lives in schools in good-quality water.

• Taxonomy:
  • Class: Actinopterygii
    
  • Order: Characiformes
    
  • Family: Characidae
    
  • Species: Hemigrammus bleheri (Géry & Mahnert, 1986)
• Population and conservation:
  • IUCN status: Not Evaluated (NE)