Discover the National Fish Habitat Action Plan and Data

NFHAP logo [Image: National Fish Habitat Action Plan]
[Image: National Fish Habitat Action Plan]

The National Fish Habitat Action Plan (NFHAP) is an unprecedented attempt to address a nationwide fish crisis by focusing on the loss and degradation of their habitat. The Plan was born in 2001 by an ad hoc group supported by the Sport Fishing and Boating Partnership Council. This group was inspired to develop a partnership effort for fish conservation in the image of the successful and strategic North American Waterfowl Management Plan.

As a federal-level partner, the USGS-NBII was designated by the National Fish Habitat Board to house the data delivery system supporting the National Fish Habitat Action Plan. Find out more about NBII's role in the NFHAP and the data associated with the Plan.

North American Native Fishes

NANFA logoThe North American Native Fishes Association aims to increase and disseminate knowledge about North America's native fishes and their habitats. Visit their website for a complete listing of the freshwater fishes of North America.

OneFish Directory

OneFish logo

 

 

The OneFish community directory is a fishery projects portal and participatory resource gateway for the fisheries and aquatic research and development sector worldwide. Freshwater fisheries topics are subdivided into a number of categories and subtopics. Resources for each topic include: documents, websites, projects, news, events, mulitmedia, jobs, institutes, and discussions.

Freshwater Fishes

Freshwater fish are fishes that live at least part, if not all, of their lives in bodies of fresh water with a salinity of less than .05%. Forty-one percent of all known fish species are found in freshwater. This page provides a variety of resources pertaining to freshwater fishes. Please also visit:

Live Maps & Data for mapping and database resources
Recreation for information about the recreational aspects of freshwater fish, such as Fishing

Swimming the Rivers and the Seas: Anadromous Fish

NPAFC header

Contrary to freshwater fish and saltwater fish, anadromous fish migrate between marine and freshwater. Many of these fish, such as salmon, reproduce in freshwater but spend the majority of their adult lives at sea. By associating different habitats with different stages of life, anadromous fish are able to balance salt concentrations between their bodies and their surrounding. The North Pacific Anadromous Fish Commission (NPAFC) was established to promote the conservation of anadromous fish in the North Pacific Ocean. NPAFC works with Canada, Japan, Repbublic of Korea, the Russian Federation, and the United States on a number of different research projects. They focus on seven different species of anadromous fish.

Resources on Freshwater Fishes
Showing 41 Results
CollapseA Check List of Florida's Freshwater Fishes, with Photos
Description: This is a list of freshwater fishes that have been collected during routine sampling by Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission biologists at sites classified as fresh water.
Resource Type: Checklists and Identification Guides
Resource Format: URL
Publisher: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
ExpandAll Catfish Species Inventory
ExpandAnnotated Checklist of Freshwater Fishes of Texas
ExpandAppendix D: Advisory List of Invasive Aquatic Species
ExpandAtlas of New Zealand Freshwater Fishes
ExpandCatalog of Fishes
ExpandChecklist of Fish Species in Texas
ExpandChecklist of Freshwater Fishes of North America, Including Subspecies and Undescribed Forms
ExpandDesert Fishes Council
ExpandEndangered Salmon Populations of the West Coast
ExpandFish Biodiversity
ExpandFish List
ExpandFishes of Iowa
ExpandFishes of Minnesota
ExpandFreshwater Fish Families by Order
ExpandFreshwater Fish Guide
ExpandFreshwater fish of New Jersey
ExpandFreshwater Fishes of Florida
ExpandFreshwater Marshes in South Florida
ExpandGars (Lepisosteidae)
ExpandGeorgia Department of Natural Resources - Protected Fish Species in Georgia
ExpandIdentification Key to Native Freshwater Fishes of Peninsular Florida
ExpandIdentification Key to Native Freshwater Fishes of Peninsular Florida
ExpandKentucky CWCS 2.2.2 Volume II - Fish and Lamprey Species Accounts
ExpandKentucky Fishes
ExpandMaine Fish Species Checklist
ExpandMinnows (Cyprinidae)
ExpandNational Marine Fisheries Service Endangered Species Conservation Page
ExpandNative and Exotic Freshwater Fish in North Carolina
ExpandNatural History of Minnesota Fishes
ExpandNorth American Catfishes (Ictaluridae)
ExpandNorthern Snakehead Species Profile
ExpandOhio Department of Natural Resources Species A-Z Guide
ExpandPerches (Percidae)
ExpandPikes (Esocidae)
ExpandSculpin (Cottidae)
ExpandSturgeons (Acipenseridae)
ExpandSuckers (Catostomidae)
ExpandSunfish (Centrarchidae)
ExpandTemperate Basses (Moronidae)
ExpandTrout and Salmon (Salmonidae)

The Electric Eel

electric eel
[Image: New England Aquarium]

Electric Eel
Electrophorus electricus

Description: Did you know that the electric eel is actually a fish? It eats mostly smaller freshwater fish, amphibians, and small mammals. To gain sufficient oxygen, the electric eel surfaces frequently. Through a complex biological system, a large adult can produce an electric shock strong enough to kill a human. The electric eel has an elongated square body, a flattened head, and an overall dark grayish green color with almost no scales. A mature adult can reach between 6 to 8 feet, with an average weight being around 45 pounds. Average life span in the wild is 15 years.

Habitat: Muddy bottoms in calm water, swamps, coastal plains, and creeks.

Distribution: Freshwater rivers of the lower Amazon Basin as well as Southern Florida.

Status: Not currently threatened or endangered, but may be in the future due to loss of habitat.

Resources:

National Geographic

New England Aquarium

National Aquarium in Baltimore

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