OYSTER TOADFISH (Opsanus tau): SPECIES ACCOUNT Toadfishes live all over the world. Toadfishes live in saltwater from shoreline waters with a low salt content down to deep sea water, about 1,200 feet (366 meters). These fishes sometimes enter rivers. Their camouflage allows toadfishes to blend with the bottom, where they bury themselves and ambush their prey, or animals caught for food. One s…
Anglerfishes live all over the world. Most anglerfishes live in the deep ocean. Some live in open water in middle depths. Others are bottom dwellers. A few anglerfishes enter shallows, and many live in coral reefs. Anglerfishes eat fishes and other animals attracted by the lure. A few anglerfishes feed mainly on bottom-dwelling invertebrates, animals without backbones. Some anglerfishes are c…
Needlefishes and their relatives live all over the world. Some needlefishes and their relatives live in the surface waters of the open ocean and in coastal habitats such as estuaries (EHS-chew-air-eez), the areas where rivers meet the sea. The freshwater species live in lakes and rivers. Needlefishes and their relatives eat small fishes, animal plankton, water and land insects, algae, sea gra…
Killifishes live all over the world. Live-bearers live in North, Central, and South America. Killifishes and live-bearers live in heavily planted streams, rivers, lakes, ponds, swamps, desert springs, salt marshes, estuaries (EHS-chew-air-eez) or areas where a river meets the sea, and coastal waters. Some live in temporary bodies of water such as puddles and ditches. Killifishes and live-bear…
Whalefishes and their relatives live all over the world. Whalefishes and their relatives live in open water down to about 13,100 feet (4,000 meters). Some species travel close to the surface. Little is known about the diet of whalefishes and their relatives. Tiny crustaceans (krus-TAY-shuns) have been found in the stomachs of a few fish. Crustaceans are water-dwelling animals that have jointe…
Roughies, flashlightfishes, and squirrelfishes live all over the world. Squirrelfishes live in shallow, tropical reefs. Roughies live in dark ocean waters 1 mile (1,600 meters) deep. The fishes that live in shallow waters usually hide under a coral overhang, in a cave, or under another structure during the day. Roughies, flashlightfishes, and squirrelfishes eat small fish and various inverteb…
Dories are oval to disk shaped and very thin when viewed from the front. The size ranges from 4 inches (10 centimeters) for the dwarf dory to 3 feet (91 centimeters), 12 pounds (5.4 kg) for the South African Cape dory. Most dories are silver, bronze, brown, or red. Dories can change color in seconds from silver to dark brown or gray. Dories live on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean and its con…
Most sticklebacks, seahorses, and their relatives have a long snout. The mouth usually is very small and has no teeth. These fishes have enlarged protective plates on their bodies. Seahorses and their relatives have extreme camouflage coloring. Many species can change color at will. Most pipefishes and seahorses have no tail fin. Many have a grasping tail like that of a monkey. Sticklebacks, …
Swamp and spiny eels are native to Africa, Asia, Australia, South America, and North America only as far north as Mexico. They have been introduced in Florida, Georgia, and Hawaii in the United States. Swamp and spiny eels live in swamps, caves, and sluggish freshwater and in water with a low salt content. They live in leaf litter and mats of fine tree roots along the banks. Swamp eels can mo…
Fishes in Percoidei live all over the world except for polar waters. Fishes in Percoidei live in freshwater or saltwater. The freshwater fishes live in lakes, ponds, ditches, swamps, and fast- and slow-moving streams. Saltwater fishes live near the shore or out at sea. Some fishes in Percoidei eat algae, plants, animal plankton, invertebrates, which are animals without backbones, and fish. Al…
Cichlids (SIH-cluhds), surfperches, damselfishes, wrasses, parrotfishes, and rock whitings have a second set of jaws in the throat. These fishes have a dorsal fin that extends the length of the fish's back. The dorsal (DOOR-suhl) fin is the one along the midline of the back. Cichlids live in South America, Africa, Asia, and North America. Surfperches live in coastal areas of the northe…
Most eelpouts and their relatives are shaped like eels. They usually are less than 16 inches (40 centimeters) long, but some reach a length of 24 inches (60 centimeters). The wolf-eel is the largest fish in this group, reaching a length of 80 inches (2 meters). Eelpouts are usually gray, brown, black, or purple and have spots of various colors. Eelpouts and their relatives live all over the w…
All but one species of southern cod-icefishes live just north of Antarctica. One species lives in Antarctica. Southern cod-icefishes live in streams and estuaries (EHS-chew-air-eez), the areas where rivers meet the sea. Most live on or near the bottom, but some live in open water. Some southern cod-icefishes eat anything that comes their way. Others ambush small crustaceans and mollusks. Crus…
Weeverfishes and their relatives live in the Arctic, Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific oceans. One species lives only in New Zealand. Most weeverfishes and their relatives live in the sea close to shore and in estuaries (EHS-chew-air-eez), or the areas where rivers meet the sea, on sandy to muddy bottoms. Some live in burrows under coral. Others live in the deep ocean. Some hug the bottom of fast…
Blennies have a variety of body types from short and stout and covered in scales to long and blunt-headed and entirely lacking scales. Most have short fringe on their heads, and some have large spines on their heads. The color ranges from drab, mottled brown and tan to brilliant red, yellow, and blue. Blennies are small, usually less than 4 inches (10 centimeters) long. Blennies live all over…
Young ragfish have limp bodies. The body is broad from back to belly and narrow from side to side. It is smooth-skinned and scaleless, except along the lateral line, where the scales have small spines. The lateral (LAT-uhr-uhl) line is a series of pores and tiny tubes along each side of a fish's body and is used for sensing vibrations. The snout is blunt and looks like that of a calf. …
Acanthuroidei uh-KAN-thuh-ROY-dee-EYE Acanthurus lineatus uh-KAN-thuh-ruhs LIH-nee-ah-tuhs Acipenseriformes AS-uh-pen-SER-uh-FOR-meez Albula vulpes ALB-yuh-luh VUL-peez Albuliformes ALB-yuh-luh-FOR-meez Alepisaurus ferox ay-LEP-uh-SOR-uhs FAIR-awks Amia calva uh-MEE-uh KAL-vuh Amiiformes uh-MY-uh-FOR-meez Ammodytes americanus AM-uh-DY-deez uh-MAIR-uh-KAN-uhs Anabantoidei AN-uh-BAN-toy-dee-EYE Anab…
Fossil records show that fishes have been in existence for 438 million years. They were the first vertebrates (VER-teh-brehts), or animal with a backbone. A fish is a cold-blooded vertebrate that lives primarily in water and has a skull, gills, and fins. Cold-blooded means the animal's internal temperature changes with its surroundings. There are two types of vertebrates: those with jaws an…
Dragonets and their relatives live in the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific oceans. Most dragonets live on coral, rubble, sand, mud, and other soft bottoms. Some live among algae-covered rocks or mangrove roots in water with a low salt content. Little is known about the habitats of draconetts. They probably live in rubble and sand or among rocks. Algae (AL-jee) are plantlike growths that live in …
SEA LAMPREY (Petromyzon marinus): SPECIES ACCOUNT Lampreys live in coastal waters on both sides of the North Atlantic Ocean; the western part of the Mediterranean Sea; the western, southern, and eastern coasts of Australia; New Zealand; Tasmania; both coasts of South America; and the Great Lakes of North America. Lamprey larvae bury themselves in the sand or mud of rivers. In the early phase…
SPOTTED RATFISH (Hydrolagus colliei): SPECIES ACCOUNTS TIGER SHARK (Galeocerdo cuvier): SPECIES ACCOUNTS WHITE SHARK (Carcharodon carcharias): SPECIES ACCOUNTS ATLANTIC MANTA (Manta birostris): SPECIES ACCOUNTS CLEARNOSE SKATE (Raja eglanteria): SPECIES ACCOUNTS Chimaeras, sharks, and skates and rays live all over the world except in the Antarctic region. Chimaeras usually live on muddy …
Surgeonfishes and their relatives have small to medium-sized bodies that are narrow from side to side and may be disk-like, oval, or slightly long. Many of these fishes have sharp venomous spines or ridges. Many of these fishes are very colorful. Surgeonfishes and their relatives live in the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific oceans. Most surgeonfishes and their relatives live in shallow coral and…
COELACANTH (Latimeria chalumnae): SPECIES ACCOUNTS SOUTH AMERICAN LUNGFISH (Lepidosiren paradoxa): SPECIES ACCOUNTS Coelacanths (SEE-lah-kanths) and lungfishes have rounded, fleshy fins. They are closely related to four-footed land vertebrates (VER-teh-brehts), or animals with a backbone. Coelacanths live on both sides of the Indian Ocean. Lungfishes live in South America, Africa, and Austr…
Barracudas, tunas, marlins, and their relatives have streamlined bodies. They are medium-sized (about 2 feet or 61 centimeters) to huge (16 feet or 5 meters) and are extremely fast swimmers. Some can leap high out of the water. Some of these fishes have nets of tiny blood vessels in their bodies that help them keep cool during their intense physical efforts. Barracudas, tunas, marlins, and th…
Butterfishes and their relatives live in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian oceans. Butterfishes and their relatives live in the ocean well offshore, close to the shore, or in large bays. Adults live in deeper waters, either on the bottom or in open water in middle depths. The young usually live near the surface, sometimes among jellyfishes. Butterfishes and their relatives mostly eat inverteb…
Labyrinth fishes are about 1 to 24 inches (2.5 to 60 centimeters) long and have a special air-breathing organ called the labyrinth (LAB-uh-rinth). Most species have a space in their head bones that sharpens their hearing. The swim bladder, an internal sac that fishes use to control their position in the water, branches into two long pouches. Many species are beautifully colored. Labyrinth fis…
SPOTTED GAR (Lepisosteus oculatus): SPECIES ACCOUNT Gars have a long snout, or bill, and a long, armored body. Gars live in the freshwaters of eastern North America, as far west as Montana in the United States; as far north as Montana and southern Quebec, Canada; and as far south as Central America and Cuba. Gars are primarily freshwater fishes, although some have been known to swim into sal…
Bowfins have a long, curved dorsal (DOOR-suhl) fin, the one that runs along the top of the body. These fishes are called living fossils (FAH-suhls) because they have existed in the same form for more than one hundred million years. The skeleton is made up of both bone and cartilage (KAR-teh-lej), or tough, bendable supporting tissue. The tail fin is short and rounded. Bowfins have a large bon…
Flatfishes live all over the world. Most flatfishes live in coastal waters over sand and mud bottoms. Flatfishes eat invertebrates (in-VER-teh-brehts), or animals without backbones, and fishes. Flatfishes are important food fishes. The World Conservation Union (IUCN) lists one species of flatfishes as Endangered and one as Vulnerable. Endangered means facing a very high risk of extinction in …
ATLANTIC TARPON (Megalops atlanticus): SPECIES ACCOUNT Tarpons and ladyfishes are long, silver fishes with large upturned mouths, large eyes, and deeply forked tails. They have a long, bony plate between the lower jawbones. Tarpons and ladyfishes live all over the world. Tarpons and ladyfishes live in seas that are tropical, meaning that the average annual temperature is more than 68°…
Pufferfishes, triggerfishes, and their relatives live all over the world. Most pufferfishes, triggerfishes, and their relatives live in the sea, but at least twenty species live in freshwater. Some of these fishes are bottom dwellers in deep and others in shallow water. Some of these fishes live in open water, and others enter estuaries (EHS-chew-air-eez), or the areas where rivers meet the s…
Atlantic cod Atlantic manta Atlantic mudskipper Ayu Bay anchovy Blackbar soldierfish Bluestreak cleaner wrasse Butterfish California flyingfish California grunion Californian needlefish Clearnose skate Clown triggerfish Common dolphinfish Common sole Emerald notothen Fire goby Flathead mullet Great barracuda Green moray Haddock Inshore sand lance Lancer dragonet Largescale foureyes Leafy seadragon…
Beluga sturgeon Common sole Flathead mullet Threespine stickleback Common sole Flathead mullet Threespine stickleback White shark Atlantic mudskipper Atlantic tarpon Bichir Flathead mullet Freshwater butterflyfish Giant tigerfish White shark Emerald notothen Atlantic manta Atlantic tarpon Bonefish Flathead mullet Lancer dragonet Lined seahorse Nassau grouper Peacock flounder Pearlfish Striped parr…
BONEFISHES (Albula vulpes): SPECIES ACCOUNT Bonefishes and their relatives live all over the world. Bonefishes live in shallow tropical waters, or waters with an average annual temperature more than 68°F (20°C). Halosaurs and spiny eels live at the bottom of the ocean in water that is 3,281–9843 feet (1,000–3,000 meters) deep. Bonefishes eat fishes and small inver…
GULPER EEL (Saccopharynx ampullaceus): SPECIES ACCOUNTS Swallowers and gulpers live in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans. Swallowers and gulpers live in very deep, open water at depths greater than 3,281 feet (1,000 meters). Larvae (LAR-vee), a form of these fishes in the early stage of growth before becoming adults, and the young live in shallower waters. Because of the extreme depth…
MILKFISH (Chanos chanos): SPECIES ACCOUNT Milkfish are large, silver, and tapered at the ends. Of their relatives, sandfish are slender and ribbon shaped; African mudfish are tubular; and Kneria wittei, which has no common name, are tiny and minnow-like. The length of these fishes ranges from about three-fourths inch (1.8 centimeters) to 5 feet (1.5 meters). Milkfish and their relatives live…
STONEROLLER (Campostoma anomalum): SPECIES ACCOUNTS SILVER CARP (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix): SPECIES ACCOUNTS CLOWN LOACH (Botia macracanthus): SPECIES ACCOUNTS Minnows, carps, and loaches and their relatives have an upper jaw that can extend forward and a toothless mouth. The head is almost always scaleless. Some species have one to three rows of teeth in the throat with never more than…
GIANT TIGERFISH (Hydrocynus goliath): SPECIES ACCOUNTS RED-BELLIED PIRANHA (Pygocentrus nattereri): SPECIES ACCOUNTS RIVER HATCHETFISH (Gasteropelecus sternicla): SPECIES ACCOUNTS Characins live all over Central America, South America, and Africa. In North America they live only in Mexico and southern Texas. Characins inhabit all types of freshwater, including weedy river edges, still pond…
Catfishes live all over the world except Antarctica. Most catfishes live in freshwater. Some live in estuaries (EHS-chew-air-eez), or the area where a river meets the sea, and others go into even deeper ocean water. Most catfishes are bottom feeders and mainly eat invertebrates (in-VER-teh-brehts), or animals without backbones. Some catfishes eat fish, and some feed on fallen leaves and trees…
South American knifefishes and electric eels live in South America and Central America. South American knifefishes and electric eels live in small streams, large rivers, lakes, and various types of backwaters. Many of these fishes live in deep, main-river channels. Some live in water with low oxygen content and gulp air at the water surface. Most of these fishes tolerate very warm water. Some…
Smelts, galaxiids, and their relatives are pointed at the ends. Smelts are silvery. Galaxiids and the relatives have a silvery belly but otherwise are brownish or olive with stripes or spots of various colors. These fishes are 1 to 28 inches (2.5 to 71 centimeters) long. Some have very large eyes, and some have no teeth in the upper jaw. Most galaxiids are scaleless. Smelts, galaxiids, and th…
The salmon group includes salmons, trouts, whitefishes, and graylings. These fishes can be more than 5 feet (1.5 meters) long and weigh more than 100 pounds (45 kilograms). Salmons have streamlined bodies that are covered with small, smooth scales. Salmons have a small adipose (AE-dih-POS) fin between the dorsal (DOOR-suhl) fin, or the fin along the midline of the back, and the powerful tail …
Lizardfishes and their relatives live in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans. Lizardfishes and their relatives live at the bottom or swim freely in open water. These fishes live at depths from warm, shallow water near the shore to water so deep that light is almost absent. The bottom-dwelling fishes rest on rubble, sand, coral, rock, seaweed, or mud. Lizardfishes and their relatives are …
Lanternfishes live all over the world except the Arctic Ocean. As adults most lanternfishes live in the middle depths of the open ocean, usually between 660 and 3,330 feet (200 and 1,000 meters). Some may enter the upper part of the deep-water region. Several lanternfishes are thought to live near, but not in contact with, the bottom at some point in life. Larval or young lanternfishes live n…
Opahs are almost round when viewed from the side, but their relatives are long and slender. Opahs and their relatives have red fins and brightly colored bodies. The jaw structure allows these fishes suddenly to open their mouths to forty times the closed size and use enormous suction to capture plankton, or microscopic plants and animals drifting in water. Opahs and their relatives live in al…
Beardfishes have a pair of barbels (BAR-buhls), which are long, thin feelers on the chin, used for the senses of taste, touch, and smell, that look like a beard. The body is pointed at the ends. The dorsal (DOOR-suhl) and anal fins have well-developed spines. The dorsal fin is the fin along the midline of the back, and the anal (AY-nuhl) fin is the fin along the midline of the belly. Beardfis…
Troutperches and their relatives live in Alaska, Canada, and the eastern United States. Troutperches and their relatives live in freshwater. Some live in swamps, and some live in caves. Troutperches and their relatives are predators (PREH-duhters), or animals that hunt and kill other animals for food. They eat a variety of animals. Some eat members of their own species. All troutperches and t…