AN INTRODUCTION TO THE FRESHWATER FISH
White sturgeon (Acipenser transmontanus), photo by Larry Halverson.
View the E-Fauna BC freshwater fish atlas pages
There are approximately 83 freshwater fish species currently recognized in British Columba. Of these 66 are native species (which includes many species that are familiar to us, such as salmon, trout, suckers, chub, and shiners) and 17 are introduced species, such as the brown bullhead and the pumpkinseed. Freshwater fish occupy a variety of habitats in the province, from rivers, to lakes, ponds and ditches. Some species, such as salmon, are found in both freshwater and marine habitats at different stages of their lives (anadromous species).
In his comprehensive book, The Freshwater Fishes of British Columbia (2007), Don McPhail provides a detailed introduction to each freshwater fish species found of BC, including information on distribution, diet, reproduction and other life history information. Please refer to that text, and the E-Fauna freshwater fish atlas pages, for detailed species information. The freshwater fish species list and the atlas page distribution maps used in E-Fauna BC were provided by Don McPhail.
Misty Lake Stickleback, a divergent lineage of the three-spine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus). Male tending his nest, photo by A. Hendry (courtesy of UBC Fish Museum).
Species of Conservation Concern in BC
Many fish species, subspecies and populations in BC are threatened today and/or are of conservation concern. These include populations/species/subspecies with very limited occurrence in the province, as well as those that are threatened by human actions and those that are found only or almost entirely in BC. These include the following species:
Brown bullhead ( Ameiurus nebulosus), photo by Mike Pearson.
Introduced Fish Species in BC
Several species of fish have been introduced into BC's freshwater river systems. One of the earliest introduced species was the Atlantic salmon, a species which is now farmed along the BC coast. Other introduced species are listed below:
Introduced Fish Species in BC
| Alosa sapidissima | American shad |
| Carassius auratus | goldfish |
| Cyprinus carpio | common carp |
| Pimephales promelas | fathead minnow |
| Misgurnus anguillicaudatus | oriental weatherfish |
| Ameiurus melas | black bullhead |
| Ameiurus natalis | yellow bullhead |
| Ameiurus nebulosus | brown bullhead |
| Salmo salar | Atlantic salmon |
| Salmo trutta | brown trout |
| Salvelinus fontinalis | brook trout |
| Lepomis gibbosus | pumpkinseed |
| Lepomis macrochirus | bluegill |
| Micropterus dolomieu | smallmouth bass |
| Micropterus salmoides | largemouth bass |
| Pomoxis nigromaculatus | black crappie |
| Perca flavescens | yellow perch |
Nooksack Dace, Chehalis lineage of the Longnose Dace (Rhinichthys cataractae), photo by Mike Pearson.
KEY LINKS
Native Fishes Research Group (UBC)
Fish on line (A draft guide to learning and teaching ichthyology using the FishBase information system)
FishBase (Global Fish Database)
LarvalBase: A Global Information System about Fish larvae
IDENTIFICATON
Field Key to the Freshwater Fish of British Columbia (McPhail and Carveth 1994)
BC MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT LINKS
Please cite these pages as:
Author, date, page title. In: Klinkenberg, Brian. (Editor) 2021. E-Fauna BC: Electronic Atlas of the Fauna of British Columbia [www.efauna.bc.ca]. Lab for Advanced Spatial Analysis, Department of Geography, University of British Columbia, Vancouver. [Date Accessed]
© Copyright 2021 E-Fauna BC.