And since 1900, at least 57 species of freshwater fish in North America have gone extinct. Around 40 percent of North American freshwater fish species have become imperiled in recent decades.

These animals hatch at sea, live most of their lives in fresh water, then return to the ocean to reproduce.įreshwater fish face threats from human activity, such as overfishing, marine pollution, habitat loss, dam building, and the introduction of invasive species. Molly fish are small, peaceful fish that grow to around 3-4 inches and adapt well to a variety of water conditions. Then there are catadromous species, or those that do it in reverse, such as freshwater eels. Fishkeepers use aquaria to keep fish, invertebrates, amphibians, aquatic reptiles, such as turtles, and aquatic plants. An aquarium (plural: aquariums or aquaria) is a vivarium of any size having at least one transparent side in which aquatic plants or animals are kept and displayed. They hatch in fresh water, head out to sea, where they live until they return to fresh water to reproduce. A freshwater aquarium with plants and various tropical fish. Some species of freshwater fish, such as salmon and trout, are called anadromous. Healthy aquarium plants provide hiding places, spawning surfaces, and food and help keep an aquarium clean by filtering impurities and otherwise harmful compounds to fish. Worldwide, the number is over 10,000 species. Most aquarium fish are well suited for planted aquariums and all will appreciate plants in their environment.

There are more than 800 known freshwater fish species in North America alone. Nearly half of all fish species live in fresh water, which means they swim in the rivers, lakes, and wetlands that make up less than 3 percent of Earth’s water supply.

Aquarium freshwater fish