Freshwater Fish Belize 2005 Tropical Ecology American Eel

Freshwater Fish Belize 2005 Tropical Ecology

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

Bull Shark Scientific Name: Carcharhinus leucas Family 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

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!!

Southern Platy. Fish Scientific Name: Xiphophorus maculatus Family 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

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.

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

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.

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

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

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.

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

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.

Swordspine Snook Scientific 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

Mexican Snook Scientific 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

• • Nile Talipia Scientific Name: Oreochromis 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

Atlantic Thread Herring Scientific Name: Opisthonema oglinun Family 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)

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

Machaca Native Name: Macabil Scientific 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

Spinycheek Sleeper Scientific Name: Eleotris pisonis Family 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

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.

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

Lyre Goby Scientific 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

Crested Goby Scientific 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

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.

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 spends all its adult life in freshwater. *Tends solitary in upper streams, but form uneven schools in larger streams at lower elevations

Bobo Mullet Scientific 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.

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

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

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

Topminnow Scientific 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

Green Swordtail Scientific Name: Xiphophorus hellerii Family Name: Poeciliidae • • • Grow up to 14 cm Habitat: Freshwater, Brackish, p. H 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

Dogtooth Rivulus Scientific Name: Rivulus tenuis Family 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

Clingfish Scientific Name: Gobisox nudus Family 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

Burro Grunt Scientific 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

Belize Anchovy Scientific Name: Anchoa mitchilli Family Name: Engraulididae • Grow to 5. 8 cm • Distribution: Central America, Belize & Guatemala • Feeding Habits: prey on invertebrates

Atlantic sabretooth anchovy Scientific 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