There Are Over 15,000 Species of Freshwater Fish — We’ll Be Impressed If You Can Name 40!

By: Ian Fortey
Estimated Completion Time
4 min
There Are Over 15,000 Species of Freshwater Fish — We’ll Be Impressed If You Can Name 40!
Image: ArtBoyMB / E+ / Getty Images

About This Quiz

Even though the Earth looks like a big, watery sphere from space, over 99 percent of all the water on Earth is actually unusable to us. Whether it's salt water, frozen water, polluted water or water that's hidden away underground, the portion that gets left over for us and the freshwater fish of the world is incredibly low.  In fact, only 0.3 percent of the freshwater in the world is found in surface lakes, swamps, and rivers. That's what makes it all the more amazing that there are thousands and thousands of species of freshwater fish out there when really they don't have a ton of real estate to work with.

Since we as humans have always lived closed to sources of freshwater out of necessity, it's no surprise that we have a long history of fishing for the critters that live in that same water. Freshwater fish have been a part of the survival of the human race since the beginning. Surely with all that history, you must be able to identify at least a few of the little guys (and not-so-little guys) that share our water with us, right?  If you think you know your freshwater friends, there's one sure way to prove it — take this quiz and see how many you can identify!

Northern Pike
DieterMeyrl / E+ / Getty Images
These trophy fish are cannibals. What are they?
Rainbow trout
Northern pike
Rita rita
Musky
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Northern pike are hefty fish that can exceed 60 pounds. Fishers prize them for their size and the challenge of catching one. Commercial fisheries have tried to farm like with no success since they won't eat artificial food. The pike just likes to hunt.

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Alligator Gar
Michael Wood / Stocktrek Images / Getty Images
This is the largest apex predator in the Mississippi River. Name it!
Lamprey
Muskellunge
Blue catfish
Alligator gar
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The alligator gar is an intimidating looking creature with a mouthful of teeth and a size that would make anyone think twice. The largest reported size of one of these monsters was about 10 feet, making it the sort of thing you want to avoid when you're swimming.

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Black Crappie
GeorgePeters / E+ / Getty Images
Do you know the name of this little guy that's a favorite of recreational anglers?
Steelhead
Lake trout
Black crappie
Goby
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Black crappies are fairly prominent throughout North America, and if there's water with fish in it, it's probably suitable for crappies to live in. The difference between a black crappie and a white crappie isn't so much the color as the dorsal spines. White crappies have six while black have seven or eight.

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Neon Tetras
Wiki Commons by André Karwath
These little guys are popular in aquariums. What are they called?
Sailfish
Neon tetras
Green gouramis
Bettas
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Neon tetras are often one of the beginner fish that people get when they start a home aquarium. They're so popular that over 1.5 million of these tiny fish are imported into the US every single month.

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Chinook Salmon
lightasafeather / E+ / Getty Images
This species shares a name with a kind of helicopter. Name it!
Warmouth
Sturgeon
Walleye
Chinook salmon
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Chinook salmon are anadromous and will live in freshwater, saltwater and brackish at different points in time. During spawning, a chinook salmon will migrate upwards of 2,000 miles from the ocean to the Upper Yukon River.

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Rainbow Trout
lightasafeather / E+ / Getty Images
What do you call this popular fish among anglers that is also pretty common in supermarkets?
Rainbow trout
Sockeye salmon
Sunfish
Killifish
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Ironically, a rainbow trout only has a red band of color down its side rather than a full rainbow of color. It's is pretty eye-catching, so the name stuck. There are species such as the golden rainbow trout which have bright yellow-gold coloration with red stripes and pink coloration as well.

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Humpback Chub
W. Perry Conway / Corbis / Getty Images
This endangered fish can be found in the Colorado River. Do you know what it's called?
Mountain sucker
Red-finned char
Humpback chub
Paddlefish
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The humpback chub gets its name from that curious lump above its head on its back. There are currently only six self-sustaining populations of the Chub in the Colorado River Basin.

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Oscar
photo by Rubén Chase Carbó / Moment / Getty Images
You can teach this fish to do tricks! What's it called?
Oscar
Guppy
Pleco
Yellow perch
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Oscars are the kind of fish that don't do well with strangers, so if you have them, they can only live with other oscars. That said, they're considered to be rather smart for fish, and there are even videos of some that have been taught to do aquarium tricks. Fun!

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Lake Herring
Wiki Commons by Endicoh, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
This fish also goes by the name Cisco. Do you know it?
Bluegill
Coho
Lake herring
Red snapper
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Lake herring can be found in the Great Lakes of North America and are fished both recreationally and commercially. Their population had been in decline for some years, but they're now making a comeback up in Lake Superior.

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Largemouth Bass
ArtBoyMB / E+ / Getty Images
The recreational fishing industry for this species is literally worth billions. Do you know what it is?
Largemouth bass
Lake trout
Blue catfish
Monkfish
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Competitive largemouth bass fishing is a worldwide industry. The fish have been introduced around the globe, and competitions for fishing them can be found not just in North America but Japan, Australia, Korea, Italy and other countries as well.

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Muskellunge
Wiki Commons by Eric Engbretson / U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
This fish is known for being a fighter. What's its name?
Whitefish
Rock bass
Muskellunge
Mollies
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Muskellunge, better known as muskies, is the largest member of the pike family and are very popular with sports fishers as a result. If you're looking to pull in a big freshwater fish in North America that's going to be a challenge, this beast which can get up to six feet is what you want.

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Angelfish
Senchy / Moment / Getty Images
These aquarium fish grow taller than they do long. What are they called?
Goby
Angelfish
Silver loach
Bettas
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Angelfish are fairly common in home aquariums thanks to how easy they are to keep. They're omnivorous, so feeding them is usually not difficult, and they tend to get along with other fish species so long as the aquarium doesn't get too crowded.

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Moapa Dace
Wiki Commons by Pacific Southwest Region USFWS
This fish is considered critically endangered. Do you know what it is?
Moapa dace
Killifish
Danio
Yellow perch
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The moapa dace comes from the Moapa River in Nevada. Their habitat is currently limited to 10 square kilometers, which is why the species is considered at risk. In 1979, the Moapa Valley Refuge was established as the first refuge ever to help conserve an endangered fish species.

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Barramundi
georgeclerk / E+ / Getty Images
Do you recognize this species that starts male and then will eventually become female?
Rainbow smelt
Gourami
River trout
Barramundi
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The barramundi gets its name from an aboriginal Australian word that means "large-scale river fish." The fish can be found throughout Northern Australia and Southeast Asia. They are what is known as sequentially hermaphroditic, so after one spawning males may become females. That means older larger specimens are likely female.

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Zander
Wiki Commons by Christoph Neumüller
This Eurasian species is considered invasive in North America. Do you know it?
Gourami
Zander
Snakefish
Pearl Dace
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Zander are known as pike-perch and European walleye and have been intentionally introduced to many lakes and rivers throughout Europe as a sports fish. They are pretty robust fish and will compete with native species as well as interbreed with them, so the fear is that they could essentially dominate any native population where they're introduced.

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Ide
Wiki Commons by Viridiflavus
If you're fishing in Finland you might hook one of these. Name it!
Dark sleeper
Golden loach
Ide
Ice trout
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Ide fish are a member of the carp family found in lakes and rivers. They're large for carp, getting up to around 10 or 12 pounds, which makes them a fairly common target for sports fishing. Everyone likes a big fish, after all.

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Rock Bass
Wiki Commons
This fish is sometimes called a goggle-eye. What other name does it go by?
Yellow perch
Rock bass
Brown trout
Bluegill
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Rock bass look like a smaller version of their cousins, the largemouth bass. They're not particularly large fish, as the record was only about three pounds, but they can be fished all year and make for a pretty easy catch even for new anglers and kids, which is why they're popular.

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Razorback Sucker
Wiki Commons by Melanie Fischer, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
You can find this fish in the Colorado River. What is it called?
Warmouth
Discus
Gourami
Razorback sucker
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The razorback sucker has been listed as an endangered species since 1991. They can also live for upwards of 40 years, which seems pretty impressive for a fish. Most of the current populations of Razorbacks are supplemented by farm-raised fish, and only one population in Lake Mead is still wild.

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Green Sunfish
Wiki Commons by bclegg77
This fish shares its name with a very different looking ocean fish. Do you know it?
Walleye
Green sunfish
Paddlefish
Rita rita
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Sunfish, including the green sunfish, shouldn't be mistaken with ocean sunfish, which are quite different looking creatures. Freshwater green sunfish are easily mistaken for perch or bass as they're in the same family. They're actually considered a nuisance fish in states like Florida and New Jersey.

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Golden Dojo Loach
Wiki Commons by A.england85
Name this little aquarium fish that is a bottom feeder and seems happy with most other kinds of fish.
Swordtail
Rainbow smelt
Japanese eel
Golden dojo loach
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The golden dojo loach fits in well with most fish in an aquarium, and they lend themselves well to the overall environment by feeding on the sludge that falls to the bottom. Loaches lack scales, which also means that you shouldn't add any chemicals to a tank with loaches in it unless it's specifically designed for scaleless fish.

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Walleye
Wiki Commons by Eric Engbretson / U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
This fish can be found from the Arctic down to the Gulf of Mexico. What is it?
Sturgeon
Yellow perch
Walleye
Gourami
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Walleye are one of the most popular fish in North America for sports fishers. Walleye also have remarkable eyesight, which is exceptional even in low-light conditions. Thanks to that, they're known for being a good hunter at both dusk and dawn.

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Yellow Perch
Wiki Commons by Robert Colletta
What is this fish that is prized as being one of the most delicious you can catch in North America?
Black crappie
Lake herring
Chain pickerel
Yellow perch
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Yellow perch are farmed commercially and are also a popular sport fish thanks to the fact they're easy to manage, don't put up much of a fight and are pretty tasty as far as fish go.

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Lake Sturgeon
Wiki Commons by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Females of this species can live to be 150 years old! What is it?
Rock bass
Lake sturgeon
Japanese eel
Gourami
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Lake sturgeon are some of the biggest fish you can catch throughout North America. At six feet long and in the neighborhood of 200 pounds, it's not hard to see why fishers prize them. Oddly enough, they were once considered nuisance fish because they destroyed fishing gear.

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Blue Catfish
Wiki Commons by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
You can find this fish throughout the Mississippi River, the Rio Grande and more. Do you recognize it?
Indian flying barb
Rainbow smelt
Weakfish
Blue catfish
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Blue catfish can grow to be 150 pounds and are pervasive throughout lakes and rivers from Canada all the way down to Guatemala. In some places, they're actually considered invasive nuisance fish. They're also able to manage brackish waters, so they have a lot of places to choose from.

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Killifish
Jono Winnel / Moment Open / Getty Images
There are over 700 species of this little aquarium fish. What's it called?
Killifish
Fourspine strickleback
Rita rita
Bloater
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Killifish are brightly colored, hardy little aquarium fish that do well in communities with most other fish so long as they aren't violent. That's a weird caveat to put on a fish, though, because what fish would do well with violent fish?

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Betta
Chan Srithaweeporn / Moment / Getty Images
What's the name of this fish you'll see at just about any pet store in a little cup by itself?
Paddlefish
Gourami
Betta
Swordtail
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Betta fish are some of the most popular aquarium fish in the world. Their bright colors and flashy-looking fins make them a striking addition to any home set up. The only downside is the reason they're sold in individual cups — bettas have rage issues and will actively try to kill other bettas.

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Fourspine Stickleback
Wiki Commons by Graham Hegeman
This little fish can be found in freshwater, brackish water, and salt water. Name it.
Mountain suckers
Japanese eel
Fourspine stickleback
Neon tetra
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The fourspine stickleback is a menacing looking little guy that only grows to four or five centimeters in length and has some impressive spikes sticking out all over its body, which is where it gets its name.

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Giant Gourami
Wiki Commons by Elena Gaillard
You can find this fish in an aquarium or fried with sweet and sour sauce. What is it?
Giant gourami
Devils Hole pupfish
American shad
Cherry barb
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Giant gourami are from Southeast Asia and can get to be over two feet in length. They're useful in garden ponds to keep weed growth down as they eat a lot of plant life, and they're also farmed as food because they don't have all those annoying, tiny bones that some fish have.

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Mountain Sucker
Wiki Commons
You can find this fish at altitudes up to 9,000 feet. What's it called?
Zebra danios
Pacific lamprey
Paddlefish
Mountain sucker
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The mountain sucker has quite a wide range across America, but it can also be found around the Rocky Mountains, including in rivers up at altitude. It gets its name because it can live in the mountains and it also sucks up its food from the bottom of the river.

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Paddlefish
Kevin Schafer / Moment Mobile / Getty Images
This fish has a skeleton made of cartilage, not bone. What's it called?
Paddlefish
Chain pickerel
Rita rita
Alligator gar
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The paddlefish is a weird looking beast that can live for over 50 years. The eggs of the paddlefish have been used as a stand-in for sturgeon caviar if you're looking for a cheaper alternative that tastes more or less the same.

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Swordtails
Wiki Commons by Usien
These fish are often sold in red and green varieties. What are they?
Platys
Danios
Swordtails
Weakfish
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Swordtails are a popular aquarium fish thanks to their bright colors and their unique, pointy tail. They're native to Central and North America and in the wild tend to be a little less spectacularly colored. The captive-bred fish are bred specifically to get bright colors, though.

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Rainbow Smelt
Wiki Commons by Fungus Guy
This little fish is an invasive species that was introduced in Michigan and invaded the Great Lakes from there. Name it.
Oscars
Humpback chub
Indian flying barb
Rainbow smelt
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Rainbow smelt traditionally moved into freshwater to spawn before heading back to saltwater to live out their fishy lives. When they were introduced to the Great Lakes they adapted a little too well, and now they actually can't go back to the ocean.

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Dark Sleeper
Wiki Commons by KENPEI
You can find this fish around Honshu, Japan. Name it!
Dark sleeper
Angelfish
Blue catfish
Muskellunge
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Dark sleeper is both the name of a bass lure and a fish you'll find in Japan. The fish is a crafty little thing that can control light reflecting scales on its body to either reflect or absorb light, making it incredibly hard to see on the bottom of a river or stream.

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Devil's Hole Pupfish
Wiki Commons by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
This is one of the rarest fish in the entire world. What is it?
Zander
Warmouth
Devils Hole pupfish
Red loach
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The Devils Hole pupfish doesn't just have a fantastic name, it has kind of an amazing story. The fish lives in one spot, appropriately called Devils Hole in Nevada. It's a limestone pool, and there are only about 200 of the fish in a 20 square meter area. That's the world's entire population.

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Warmouth
Wiki Commons by Bclegg77
Some people call this fish a strawberry perch. Do you know it by another name?
Warmouth
Steelhead
Bloater
Redgill
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Warmouth bass are a fairly aggressive species of bass, hence the name. When the female lays eggs, the males will guard them against any other fish for up to several days after they hatch. After that, the little guys are on their own.

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Chain Pickerel
Don Tracy / Moment Mobile / Getty Images
This fish is remarkably similar to the northern pike. Name it!
Black crappie
Lake herring
Brown trout
Chain pickerel
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Chain pickerel are a close relative of the northern pike and are one of the larger sports fish you can find in North America. They're also popular for eating, but only if you have the patience to debone one since they're chock full of little bones.

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Indian Flying Barb
Wiki Commons by Balaram Mahalder
This fish can be found in Nepal and Myanmar. What is it?
Zebra danio
Indian flying barb
Angelfish
Discus
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The Indian flying barb can be found across India and various parts of Asia. It gets the flying part of its name thanks to a remarkable talent it has for jumping. If you keep them as an aquarium fish, make sure you have a lid.

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Lahontan Cutthroat Trout
Wiki Commons by Pacific Southwest Region U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Do you know the name of this fish, which is the state fish of Nevada?
Blue catfish
Lahontan cutthroat trout
Moapa dace
Chinook salmon
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Lahontan cutthroat trout have one of the best names in fish history, and they also have a sad history. They were once so abundant in the Tahoe-Truckee Watershed that people fished them up by the bucketful assuming the supply would last forever. They were added to the endangered species list in 1970.

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American Eel
Wiki Commons by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Northeast Region
This unfortunate fish dies after spawning. Do you know its name?
American eel
Humpback chub
Paddlefish
Spiny needlefish
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The American eel is one of those fish that splits its time between freshwater and saltwater. Unlike most species, it seems to work in reverse. It lives most of its life in freshwater and heads out to sea to spawn.

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Rita Rita
Wiki Commons by Andshel
This is sometimes called the whale catfish. What other name does it go by?
Gourami
Carp
Alligator gar
Rita rita
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Rita rita is actually the scientific name for the whale catfish found throughout India, Nepal, Pakistan and other regions of Asia. It can grow up to 48 inches or so in length and is heavily fished for food.

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You Got:
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