New 🐟 Mercury Safety Guide & Omega-3 Rankings Updated for 2026. View Omega-3 Rankings →

🌿 Sustainable Seafood ⚡ Omega-3 Rankings 🔬 Mercury Safety 🏆 World Records 🎣 Fishing Licenses

API Docs

Get API Key →

💧

Freshwater Fish Species

All freshwater fish species found in rivers, lakes, streams, and ponds worldwide. From tiny tetras to the giant arapaima — covering every continent.

18,067

Total Species

1,926

Endangered (EN+CR)

1,910

Edible Species

204

Families

Filtered Least Concern Edible only ✕ Clear all

Sort

🔤 Name A–Z 🔴 Threatened First 🍽️ Edible First

1,260 species

Yellow rabbit characin

Leporellus vittatus

Anostomidae Least Concern Edible

Yellow Sand Cichlid

Xenotilapia flavipinnis

Cichlidae Least Concern Edible

Hyphessobrycon bifasciatus

Acestrorhamphidae Least Concern Edible

Xenocypris macrolepis

Cyprinidae Least Concern Edible

Yellowtail tetra

Alestopetersius caudalis

Alestidae Least Concern Edible

Yucatan flagfish

Garmanella pulchra

Cyprinodontidae Least Concern Edible

Hypsopanchax platysternus

Poeciliidae Least Concern Edible

Hypsopanchax zebra

Poeciliidae Least Concern Edible

Zenarchopterus Ectuntio

Zenarchopterus ectuntio

Zenarchopteridae Least Concern Edible

Mastacembelus armatus

Mastacembelidae Least Concern Edible

Enteromius miolepis

Cyprinidae Least Concern Edible

Zucchini catfish

Isorineloricaria spinosissima

Loricariidae Least Concern Edible

‹
1
2
...
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
›

At a Glance

Total species 18,067

Endangered (EN+CR) 1,926

Edible species 1,910

Families represented 204

Habitat type Freshwater

Conservation Status

🔴 Critically Endangered 715 🟠 Endangered 1,211 🟡 Vulnerable 1,230 🔵 Near Threatened 772 🟢 Least Concern 8,150 ⚪ Data Deficient 2,482 ✕ Clear filter

Edibility Filter

🍽️ Edible species only 1,910 ✕ Clear filter

Ecosystem Facts

💧

Biodiversity Hotspot Freshwater covers less than 1% of Earth's surface yet supports roughly 40% of all fish species - the highest concentration of aquatic biodiversity anywhere on the planet.

🌊

River vs Lake River fish are streamlined to cope with flowing water and oxygen-rich environments. Lake fish often exploit deep stratified habitats and develop specialised feeding niches.

🐟

Cichlid Radiation Africa's Great Lakes contain over 1,000 cichlid species evolved from a common ancestor in just 15,000 years - the fastest known adaptive radiation in vertebrate evolution.

🌿

Amazon Basin The Amazon River system contains over 3,000 described freshwater fish species - more than any other river on Earth - with new species still being described annually.

Other Habitats

🌊 Marine Fish 🌿 Brackish Fish 🔄 Diadromous Fish 🌍 All Habitats

Explore Related

🔴 Endangered Fish 🍽️ Edible Fish Guide ♻️ Sustainable Seafood 🏆 World Record Fish 🔤 All Species A–Z