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Did you know that there are small freshwater animals that are capable of building their own shell from pebbles from the rivers where they live? We are talking about the tricopters or phygáneas, one of the invertebrates with the most surprising freshwater habits. Like other ecosystems, freshwater ecosystems hide a great fauna biodiversity, in which vertebrates and invertebrates coexist and develop various survival strategies.
If you want to know the name of different freshwater vertebrates and more examples of freshwater invertebrates, such as the striking tricopters, continue reading this Green Ecologist article about freshwater animals.
Freshwater fish
Fish represent the largest group of animals present in the freshwater ecosystems. In rivers, lakes, ponds, streams and ponds, fish are the main responsible for filling these precious aquatic ecosystems with life. Some of them are very common species that inhabit different parts of the world and that, sometimes, are part of our diet, as is the case of:
- Salmon (genus Salmo).
- Common trout (Salmo trutta).
- SturgeonAcipenser sturio).
Other freshwater fish, on the other hand, are known worldwide for their dangerousness, such as:
- Piranhas (subfamily Serrasalminae).
- Electric eels (Gimnotydae family).
- Bull or Sardinian shark (Carcharhinus leucas).
Other freshwater fish species They stand out for their gigantic size, as is the case of the following:
- Mekong freshwater giant fish (Pangasianodon gigas).
- Crocodile fish (Lepisosteus osseus).
- Nile perch fish (Lates niloticus).
Before going on to know more examples of animals from other groups that live in fresh waters, let us know in the next section one of the cartilaginous freshwater fish Most surprising: the freshwater stingray.
Freshwater stingrays
Belonging to the family Potamotrygonidae of cartilaginous fish, the freshwater or river stripes They inhabit rivers in all the countries of South America, with the exception of Chile.
From the basin of the gigantic Amazon River, as well as in the Río de la Plata that separates Argentina and Uruguay, and at the mouth of rivers to the Caribbean Sea, freshwater stingrays find their ideal habitat to grow and reproduce. Like other species of rays, they are characterized by the presence of a poisonous stinger on their tails, which is why they are considered one of the most dangerous freshwater fish species in South America.
Mammals that inhabit fresh water
Many species of mammals choose fresh waters to spend part or all of their lives in it. Some of the examples of freshwater animals mammals are:
- Otters (subfamily Lutrinae), known to be great swimmers.
- Coipos or quiyás (Myocastor coypus), these being one of the most abundant and characteristic aquatic rodents of river ecosystems.
- The Beavers are one of the best known freshwater mammals in North America (Castor canadensis) and Eurasia (Castor fiber). They are known for their amazing ability to build natural levees in rivers and streams.
Other examples of mammals that inhabit fresh water are the shy and elusive dolphins of the Amazon River (Inia geoffrensis). Also keep in mind the semi-aquatic platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) and hippos (family hippopotamidae), both characterized by spending part of their time on land and in fresh water.
Manatee, one of the endangered freshwater animals
Also commonly known as "water cows", the manatees (genus Trichechus) They are amazing mammals that live in both fresh and salt water. There are three species, whose common names refer to the region of the planet where they live: Caribbean manatee, Amazonian manatee and African manatee.
Currently, there are sanctuaries and protection and conservation areas for these freshwater mammals listed as endangered, since for decades they have suffered hunting and reduction of their natural habitats as a result of irresponsible activities of human beings. You can find out more about their situation in this other article about The endangered manatee.
Examples of birds that live in freshwater habitats
Whether it is to search for food or shelter, or even to mate, there are many species of birds that include freshwater habitats as one of their favorite natural spaces. Between the freshwater waterfowl species such as:
- Wild ducks or mallardsAnas platyrhynchos).
- Swans (genus Cignu).
- Geese and geese (Anserinae subfamily).
- Gray herons (Ardea cinerea.
- Cranes (Grus grus).
- Kingfisher (Alcedinidae family).
- Cormorant (genus Phalacrocorax).
- Ibis (subfamily Threskiornithinae).
- Pink spatulas (Platalea ahaha).
- Flamingos (gender Phoenicopterus).
These and other species spend a large part of their life in freshwater areas, always looking for a fish to take to the peak and, at the same time, they form a great spectacle of nature when strolling along the banks and through the waters of rivers. lakes, ponds, etc. If you want to know many species of birds that live in water habitats, we recommend this other post about Waterfowl: characteristics, types, names and photos.
Freshwater reptiles and amphibians
Reptiles also choose to spend part of their time in freshwater areas, either to stay hidden, waiting to quickly stalk their prey, or simply to spend the hot hours submerged in the water. Some of the most prominent examples of freshwater reptiles are:
- American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis).
- Diamond rattlesnake (Crotalus adamanteus).
- Green basilisk lizard (Basiliscus plumifrons).
On the other hand, there are many species of turtles that choose fresh water as their natural habitat, this being the case of the well-known florida turtle (Trachemys scripta elegans), which reaches many homes as pets and is then irresponsibly released into freshwater ecosystems, where they have become large and dangerous pests of exotic species that displace other native animal species. In this other post you can learn more names of species of freshwater turtles with photos.
As for the amphibians that stand out for living in fresh waters, we find the american bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeianus) and the striking newts or salamanders (order Caudata).
Freshwater Animals: Invertebrates
In addition to the different examples of freshwater vertebrate animals that we have seen so far, there are numerous species from different groups of invertebrates that inhabit fresh waters. Among this type of freshwater aquatic animals, mollusks, crustaceans and other groups stand out. Some species are:
- Freshwater snails (Planorbella trivolvis).
- River crab (superfamilies Astacoidea and Parastacoidea).
- Freshwater shrimp (Macrobrachium acanthurus).
- Freshwater lobster (Cherax quadricarinatus).
- Freshwater prawn or Malaysian giant shrimp (Macrobrachium rosenbergii).
- Leeches (genus Hirudinea).
Learn more about this interesting ecosystem with this other Green Ecologist article on What are freshwater ecosystems with examples.
If you want to read more articles similar to +35 freshwater animals, we recommend that you enter our Wild Animals category.
Bibliography- López, L. et al., (1987) List of freshwater fish in Argentina. Aquatic biology, Volume 12, pp: 1-50.
- Margalef, R. (1948) On the diet of freshwater animals. Spanish Journal of Physiology. Volume 4 (3), pp: 207-213.
- Coronado, N. & Pérez, R. (2009). Taxonomic list of tricopters (insecta: trichoptera) from the southern streams of the municipality of Morelia, Michoacán. Magazine Biological, Volume 11, pp: 139-143.
