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Freshwater Fish

Freshwater Fish. Belize 2005 Tropical Ecology.

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Freshwater Fish

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  1. Freshwater Fish Belize 2005 Tropical Ecology

  2. American Eel Scientific Name: Auguilla rostrata Family: Anguillidae*Grow up to 5 ft.*Lives for up to years.*Distribution: America, Greenland, Canada, USA, West Indies, Trinidad*Lives in permanent streams with continuous flow, hides during day*Feeding Habits: Benthic Larvae , Crustaceans & Fish*Breeding Habits: Migrate to Sargasso Sea in Autumn

  3. Bull SharkScientific Name: Carcharhinus leucasFamily Name: Carcharhinidae • Grow up to 11 ½ ft. • Avg. Age: 32 Yrs • Habitat: Fresh, Brackish,Salt • Distribution: Warm Oceans, Lakes, Rivers. USA, Brazil, Morocco, Africa, India, Australia • Inhabitants shallow waters, swims far up-river. Found near estuaries. • Feeding Habits: Bony Fish, other Sharks, Rays, Crabs, Squid, occasionally Garbage • Most Dangerous Trop. Shark • Live Birth

  4. Tarpon Scientific Name: Megalops atlanticus Family: Megalopidae • Grows up to 8 ft • Habitat: Fresh, Brackish, Marine-Mangrove, Coastal, Estuaries • Distribution: Portugal, USA, Brazil, Panama, America, Canada • Lives in schools • Feeding Habits: Eats Fish-Sardines, Anchovies • Can live in oxygen poor waters • Game Fish: Largest on Record 238 lbs!!

  5. Southern PlatyFishScientific Name: Xiphophorus maculatusFamily Name: Cyprinodontimformes • Grows up to 6 cm • Distribution: The Americas; from Mexico to N. Belize • Habitat: Lives in warm springs, canals, & ditches in slow-moving water, silt bottoms and weedy banks • Feeding Habits: Worms, Crustacean, & Insects • Live Bearer

  6. Jack Dempsey Scientific Name: Cichlasoma octofasciatum Family: Cichlidae*Grow up to 25 cm *Distribution: N. & C. America; southern Mexico to Honduras *Lives in wetland areas with warm, murky water. *Found in weedy, mud-bottomed and sand-bottomed canals.*Prefers coastal plains & slow moving waters of lower river valleys. *Feeds on worms, benthics and fish.

  7. Southern Checkmark Cichlid Scientific Name: Vieja godmanni Family: Cichlidae*Inhabits rivers and streams*Prefers fast flowing, cooler waters, such as mountain runoffs. *Feeding Habits: Omnivorous-specialized in fresh vegetation

  8. Blue-Eye Cichlid Scientific Name: Cichlisoma spilurum Family: Cichlidae*Small Species: Grow up to 12 cm. *Habitat: from lowland swamps or wetlands to cool mountain streams.

  9. Firemouth Cichlid Scientific Name: Cichlisoma meeki Family: Cichlidae*Grow up to around 4 ft. *One of the most abundant Cichlids. *Relatively a deep-bodied species with a triangular head *Studies have shown that the eyespots on the opercle makes the fish look larger when flared

  10. Mayan Cichlid Scientific Name: Cichlasoma urophthalmus Family: Cichlidae*Grow up to 20 cm. *Most common in low-lying coastal areas. *Large predatory cichlid*Tolerant of saltwater & have been found breeding there. *Studies show, species grows quicker in saltwater

  11. Redhead Cichlid Scientific Name: Cichlasoma synspilum Family: Cichlidae *Females grow up to 17 cm, Males are usually larger. *Confused with the Maculicuada because of body shape & coloration. *Feeding Habits: Omnivorous, prone more to vegetation.

  12. Yellowjacket Cichlid Scientific Name: Cichlasoma friedrichstali Family: Cichlidae*Grow up to 15 ½ cm*One of the largest Belize Cichlids. *One of the most Distinct Cichlids-Large Mouth, Brassy Yellow Color

  13. Bay Snook • Scientific name: Petinia splendida • Family: Cichlidae • Can grow to 30 cm • Feeding Habits: feeds on other fish • In Belize it is used for food & as a game fish.

  14. Swordspine SnookScientific Name: Centropomus ensiferus Family Name: Perciformes • Can grow up to 36 cm • Distribution: Western Atlantic & Continental coasts of Central and South America • Habitat: Freshwater, Brackish, Marine • Lives mainly in coastal waters, estuaries and lagoons, prefers freshwater. Found over soft bottoms • Feeding Habits: Small fish and crustacean

  15. Mexican SnookScientific Name: Centropomus poeyi Family Name: Perciformes • Grow up to 90 cm • Habitat: Freshwater, brackish, Marine • Distribution: Mexico to Belize • Lives in coastal waters, estuaries and lagoons • Spawning occurs in fresh or low-brackish waters • Feeding Habits: Fish and Crustaceans • Gamefish

  16. Nile TalipiaScientific Name: Oreochromis niloticus niloticus Family Name: Perciformes • Grow up to 60 cm • Habitat: Freshwater & Brackish • Distribution: Africa; coastal waters of Israel; Nile, Introduced species to Belize • Adverse ecological impacts have been reported • Lives in wide variety of freshwater habitats; rivers, lakes, sewage canals, etc. • Mainly diurnal • Feeding Habits: Phytoplankton or benthic algae • Food Fish

  17. Atlantic Thread HerringScientific Name: Opisthonema oglinunFamily Name: Clupeidae • Lives in Mangrove channels • Feeding habits: Filters plankton (Copepods) & also takes in small fish and crabs. • Distribution: Central Atlantic, from Chesapeake Bay to Brazil (Belize)

  18. Thread Fin Shad Scientific Name: Dorsoma pretenense Family: Clupeidae*Can grow up to 18 cm. *Feeding Habits: Eats plankton but when scarce it will find something else *Spawn in schools early in the morning in shallow water near brush, logs, or plants to minimize predation of eggs*Eggs adhesive

  19. Machaca Native Name: MacabilScientific Name: Brycon guatemalensis Family: Characidae • Grow up to 59 cm • Central America: From Grijalva River, Mexico to E. Panama; in the Pacific slope, only in Choluteca River basin of Honduras. • Found in lakes, rivers & streams between 0 & 600 m elevation. • The young feed on terrestrial & aquatic insects, leaves, fruits and seeds. • Adults mainly herbivorous • Eggs are deposited in nests located in sand bottoms of streams

  20. Spinycheek SleeperScientific Name: Eleotris pisonisFamily Name: Eleotridae • Grow to 25 cm • Distribution: Bermuda, Bahamas, Gulf of Mexico, Central America, Brazil • Lives in shallow muddy waters or sandy bottoms • Feeding Habits: dipteran larvae & pupae, crustaceans, such as crabs, & even small fish

  21. Bigmouth Sleeper Scientific Name: Gobiomorus dormitor Family: Eleotridae*Grow up to 60 cm*Distribution: U.S.; southern Florida & southern Texas to eastern Brazil, Africa; Macias Nguema (Fernando Po).*Adults live in fresh water-Well Inland.*Inhabits larger free flowing clear water streams *Lies mostly on the bottom in slower moving part of streams*Carnivores and Benthivores*Relies on its sluggish behavior & cryptic coloration to capture crustaceans and fish.

  22. River Goby Scientific Name: Awaous banana Family Name: Gobiidae • Grow up to 30 cm • Habitat: Fresh, brackish, clear streams & rivers, but also in muddy turbid waters, Prefers well oxygenated water • Feeding Habits: Mainly filamentous Algae

  23. Lyre GobyScientific Name: Evorthodus lyricus Family Name: Gobiidae • Grow to 15 cm • Distribution: From Chesapeake Bay, USA to the Northern Gulf of Mexico, continuing to the Northern parts of South America • Occurs mainly in muddy backwaters, often in foul waters

  24. Crested GobyScientific Name: Lophogobius cyprinoides Family Name: Gobiidae • Grow to 10 cm • Habitat: Freshwater, Brackish & Marine • Distribution: Western Atlantic, Bermuda, Florida (USA), to Central and South America • Lives in tidal creeks, mangroves & other quite, fresh to fully saline waters

  25. Banded Astyanx Scientific Name: Astyanax aneus Family: Characidae*Grow up to 10 cm*Distribution:North, Central & South America, & most freshwater basins from Mexico to Argentina.*Inhabits: Slow-moving streams & rivers and lentic areas. *Vivacious, eats small fish & will bite pieces of meat.

  26. Mountain Mullet Scientific Name: Agonostomus monticola Family: Mugilidae*Grow up to 5 ½ cm*Distribution: North America; North Carolina, Florida, Louisiana & Texas, U.S., to Colombia & Venezuela, including the West Indies.*Adults live in freshwater rivers & streams. . *Only mullet that swims far inland and spends all its adult life in freshwater. *Tends solitary in upper streams, but form uneven schools in larger streams at lower elevations

  27. Bobo MulletScientific Name:Joturus pichardi Family Name: Mugildae • Grow up to 61 cm • Max Weight Recorded: 3,250 g • Habitat: Freshwater, Brackish, Marine • Distribution: Central America; Mexico to Panama, Florida & the Wet Indies • Adults live in upper reaches of rivers but enter brackish water when spawning • Important food fish in some areas • Feeding Habits: Herbivores, scrapes algae from rocks with its fleshy lips, although sometimes eats prawn.

  28. Shortfin Molly Scientific Name: Poecilia mexicana Family: Poeciliidae*Grow up to 9 ½ cm*Considerable variation in size among the various populations. *Mainly feeds on detritus- Feeds in fast water too.*Found in still or slow moving water & even on bottom

  29. Mudfish • *Bottom Feeder • *Effective Camouflage • *Hides in vegetation & behind rocks • *Opportunistic feeder

  30. Mayan Sea CatfishScientific Name: Hexanematichthys Assimilis Family Name: Ariidae • Grow up to 32 cm • Habitat: Marine, Freshwater, Brackish • Distribution: Central America, Belize River basin • Gamefish & Foodfish

  31. TopminnowScientific Name: Belonesox belizanus Family Name: Poeciliidae • Grow up to 14 cm • Habitat: Mostly Freshwater & sometimes Brackish • Distribution: North & Central America • Live Bearers • Lives in weedy canals & tolerates poorly oxygenated waters • Formerly used in medical research

  32. Green SwordtailScientific Name: Xiphophorus hellerii Family Name: Poeciliidae • Grow up to 14 cm • Habitat: Freshwater, Brackish, pH range 7.0-8.0 • Distribution: North & Central America, & in parts of Africa • Live Bearers • Live mainly in rapidly flowing streams & rivers, preferring heavily vegetated habitats. Occur in warm springs & their effluents, weedy canals & ponds • Feeding Habits: Eat worms, insects, crustacean & plant matter

  33. Dogtooth RivulusScientific Name: Rivulus tenuisFamily Name: Rivulidae • Grow up to 6 ½ cm • Distribution: Central America; Guatemala, Mexico, Found in Lowland areas across Belize • Aquarium Fish • Lives in Freshwater only • Hide in vegetation at water’s edge

  34. ClingfishScientific Name: Gobisox nudusFamily Name: Gobiesocidae • Grow up to 15 cm • Distribution: Central & South America; Belize & Honduras • Lives in rivers and creeks with high velocity currents • Feeding Habits: fish, fish scales, & aquatic insects

  35. Burro GruntScientific Name: Pomadasys crocro Family Name: Haeumildae • Grow up to 38 cm • Habitat: Freshwater, Brackish, Marine • Distribution: Western Atlantic, southern Florida, Gulf of Mexico & throughout the Caribbean Sea southward to Brazil • Lives in rivers and creeks of low to high current velocity. Found along sandy shores & over mud bottoms in shallow water, common in brackish mangrove-lined lagoons • Feeding Habits: Eats Crustaceans & small fish

  36. Belize AnchovyScientific Name: Anchoa mitchilli Family Name: Engraulididae • Grow to 5.8 cm • Distribution: Central America, Belize & Guatemala • Feeding Habits: prey on invertebrates

  37. Atlantic sabretooth anchovyScientific Name: Lycengraulis grossidens Family Name: Engraulidae • Grow to 23 ½ cm • Habitat: Freshwater, Brackish, Marine • Distribution: Western Atlantic; Belize, Venezuela & the Amazon • Feeding Habits: Eats mainly small fish & various crustaceans

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