Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Fishes
Fishes are the most diverse aquatic vertebrates, with more than 24,000
described species, and perhaps as many as 28,000 will be described as tax-
onomy progresses (Moyle and Cech, 1996) (Table 9.3). Slightly less than
half of these species are found in freshwater and more than 3000 can be
found in Amazonian waters. Fishes provide the major economic impetus
to conserve and protect many freshwaters. A considerable amount of re-
search has been conducted on their ecology. The major groups of fishes
that can be found in freshwaters are discussed here. The lampreys (Fig.
9.13A) are the most primitive and are jawless; the jawed fishes include the
Chondrichthyes (sharks and rays) and the Osteichthyes (bony fishes). Of
these groups, the bony fishes are by far the most diverse in contemporary
fresh and marine waters (Matthews, 1998).
Fishes have a variety of adaptations that allow them to specialize in
various ecological roles and to display complex behavior. Body form is
Orders of Fish That Have Freshwater Representatives a
TABLE 9.3
Common name of
Approximate no.
Order
freshwater species
Main region of dominance
of freshwater species
Petromyzontiformes
Lamprey
Worldwide, coastal
40
Myliobatiformes
Stingray
Coastal
Lepidosireniformes
Lungfishes
AF, SA
Polypteriformes
Bichirs
AF
10
Acipenseriformes
Sturgeons, paddlefishes
PA, NA, AS
28
Lepisosteiformes
Gars
NA
7
Amiiformes
Bowfin
NA
1
Osteoglossiformes
Elaphantfishes, bonytongues
AF
200
Anguilliformes
Eels
Worldwide
26
Clupeiformes
Herrings, shad
Worldwide, some freshwater
80
Gonorynchiformes
Milkfish
AF, AS
29
Cypriniformes
Minnows, carps, algae eaters,
Worldwide
2600
suckers, loaches
Characiformes
Characins
SA, AF
1300
Siluriformes
Catfishes
Worldwide
2280
Gymnotiformes
Knifefishes
SA
62
Esociformes
Pikes, mudminnows
NA, PA
10
Osmeriformes
Smelts, galaxiids
Worldwide, AU
71
Salmoniformes
Salmon, trout, whitefish,
NA, PA
66
chars, graylings
66
Atheriniformes
Silversides, rainbow fishes,
AU, AS
160
blue eyes
Beloniformes
AS
45
Cyprinodontiformes
Top minnows, killifishes,
Worldwide
805
pupfishes
Synrannchiformes
Swamp eels, spiny eels
AF, AS, SA, NA
87
Scorpaeniformes
Sculpins
NA, PA
62
Perciformes
Basses, perch, sunfish,
Worldwide
2200
darters, cichlids, gobies,
gouramis
a Regions are African (AF), neotropical (Central and South America; SA), Asia (Southeast Asia and peninsular
India; AS), palearctic region (northern Eurasia; PA), neararctic region (North America; NA), and Australian
region (AU) [adapted from Moyle and Cech (1996) and Matthews (1998)].
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