About This Quiz
There are many types of friendly and violent fish that inhabit the waters of the Earth. In today's quiz, we'll explore 40 awesome freshwater fish that live in the lakes, streams and headwaters of our world.
From striped bass and trout to salmon and crappies, there are a wide variety of notable freshwater fish that may sound familiar to you. For example, you might be aware of Atlantic salmon from prominent Japanese sushi restaurants. Some types of freshwater fish are also used for recreational purposes, especially sport fishing. These include the muskellunge, largemouth bass, northern pike and the smallmouth bass. Various types of freshwater fish are also threatened, while others are critically endangered. Some fish like to migrate between saltwater and freshwater, like the Atlantic salmon. Other types have also earned the right to be the official fish of certain states. An example of this would be the channel catfish, which is the state fish of Nebraska.
Even if you're not familiar with freshwater fish, don't worry. We've provided you with a helpful hint for every question on which you're stuck. All you have to do is match the picture of the fish to the applicable fish name. Do you think you can do it? Take this fish identification quiz now to find out!
Atlantic salmon is prominent in a wide variety of cuisines and can be quite beneficial for those who are on a weight-loss diet. These types of fish also alternate between fresh water and salt water.
The arctic grayling can actually live for up to 18 years and can be found in Utah, Montana and Alaska. These fish are also known for their shimmering appearance and rainbow colors.
The American eel belongs to the Actinopterygii class and loves to eat worms as a snack. During the migrating season, these fish can also be found in various parts of the Atlantic coast.
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The Atlantic sturgeon can grow to become quite the hefty fish! Weighing upwards of 800 pounds, these types of fish love to eat smaller sea creatures for dinner, such as mollusks and worms.
The alligator gar belongs to the Lepisosteidae family and is considered to be a very large type of freshwater fish. They also like to hunt prey in the Mississippi River and look like mini alligators.
Also called the "speckled trout," this type of fish is actually a char, even though it's called a trout. It's also a member of the salmon family, and is called "Salvelinus fontinalis" via its scientific name.
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The chinook salmon can be found in Lake Ontario, as well as Lake Berryessa and Lake Chelan. This is also the state fish of Alaska and Oregon and contains many vitamins and minerals.
These types of fish love streams and salt rivers and live off of a diet of insects. Apache trouts are also the official fish of the state that is home to the Grand Canyon (you guessed it, Arizona).
The northern pike gets its name from the pike weapon, which is a long pole with a sharp spear at the end. This type of fish is also cannibalistic and belongs to the Esocidae family.
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Coho salmon are called "silvers" because of their shiny silver hue and bears the scientific name, "Onchorhynchus kisutch." These fish also love to eat insects and other types of fish for dinner and belong to the Oncorhynchus genus.
The bluegill fish is part of the Perciformes order and bears the nickname "copper nose." This type of fish can also be found throughout North America and is considered to be a type of freshwater fish.
The channel catfish can be found in the Lake of the Ozarks and bears the scientific name "Ictalurus punctatus." A large statue of this fish can also be found in Canada, named as the "Chuck the Channel Catfish."
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The muskellunge is part of the pike family, and is the largest of its kind. You can also find this type of fish in both Lake St. Clair and Lake of the Woods, as well as in various rivers of the Midwest.
The lake herring has several nicknames, which includes cisco and chub. These fish also love to snack on larvae for breakfast and can be found within the Great Lakes, as well as the Arctic Ocean.
Known as a "tridentate lamprey," the pacific lamprey fish relies on the blood from other fish to survive. They also look like a giant worm and belong to the Petromyzontidae family.
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The lahontan cutthroat trout is found in Lake Tahoe, as well as the Carson River. It's also known as a "stream spawner" because of its habitat in streams and belongs to the Actinopterygii class.
The chum salmon is primarily found in a variety of freshwater coastal streams and is a favorite snack among brown bears. These fish can also weigh up to 19 pounds and bears the nickname "keta salmon."
Believe it or not, the pallid sturgeon is considered to be a toothless type of fish! It uses its mouth like a suction to eat tiny fish for food and can be found in the state of Missouri.
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The yellow perch contains vibrant yellow scales with distinct black stripes and lives off of many small invertebrates. These types of fish can also be found throughout the United States.
The Rio Grande silvery minnows are very small and they only munch on plants for food. You can also find them throughout Rio Grande, and they only grow to be a few inches in length.
The blueback herring is also called the river herring and lives on a diet of fish and shrimp. These fish are also classified as an anadromous species and are popular in many different recipes.
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The bull trout loves to swim in icy rivers and lakes near glaciers, especially in Oregon. They also eat various types of invertebrates, as well as salmon eggs, zoobenthos and fish for dinner.
With nicknames like "rockfish" and "striper," the striped bass fish loves to consume fish and crustaceans for breakfast. They also lay quite a few eggs in its lifetime (about 3 million)!
The largemouth bass belongs to the Perciformes order and is a popular fish for sport fishing in the United States. These large fish also love to eat a variety of frogs and crustaceans.
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The American paddlefish, which belongs to the Actinopterygii class, is kind of like a mini-shark, as it maneuvers with its mouth open! Cartilage also makes up the anatomy of this fish, rather than bone.
You'll find plenty of smallmouth bass within the Mississippi River, Lake Erie and Lake Tahoe. These medium-sized fish also weigh almost seven pounds and belong to the Centrarchidae family.
This type of fish (also known as "Alosa sapidissima") has a diet that consists of planktons and copepods. American shads can also live as long as 13 years and can sometimes be found within the Atlantic Ocean.
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Recreational fish are fish that can be used for recreational purposes, like fishing and eating. The black crappie is currently one of these types of fish and can be found in a variety of lakes and ponds.
The Comanche Springs pupfish species is currently endangered and can be found in Balmorhea, Texas. These fish also love to snack on algae but have a very short lifespan (up to two years).
The walleye fish is able to hunt its prey at any time of the day (or night) due to its pristine eyesight. This fish also loves to eat minnows and frogs and belongs to the Percidae family.
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Early settlers loved these long Colorado pikeminnows, which also belongs to the Cyprinidae family. These fish can also currently be found in various parts of the Upper Colorado Rivers.
If you're ever in Devils Hole, Nevada, head on over to the limestone pools. You'll find plenty of the critically endangered Devils Hole pupfish there, which also belong to the Cyprinodon genus.
This type of fish is currently endangered and eats many microscopic animals to survive. The Klamath Tribes nicknamed this fish "Quapdo," which can also be found in the northernmost areas of California.
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Aside from Lake Mohave, Arizona, the razorback suckers can also be found throughout the Colorado River. The scientific name for this type of fish is "Xyraucben texanus" and it also belongs to the Cypriniformes order.
The humpback chub fish is currently an endangered species and can be found within the Grand Canyon. The scientific name for this type of fish is "Gila cypher" and belongs to the Gila genus.
You'll find plenty of white bass fish in rivers and lakes, such as the Lake of the Ozarks and Lake Erie. These fish also come in a variety of colors, such as green, black and silver.
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The steelhead trout is actually a type of rainbow trout and can also be found along the west coast of the United States. These types of fish also bear the scientific name "Oncorhynchus mykiss."
This type of fish has earned the nickname "black-spotted trout" due to its array of distinct black spots. Westslope cutthroat trouts can also be found in the state of Montana, specifically in Flathead Basin.
Although bloaters can be seen in rivers, they are primarily found in most of the Great Lakes. The scientific name of the bloater is "Coregonus hoyi" and they are known for their silver and purple colors.
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The tiny moapa dace fish lives exactly where its name implies, the Moapa River in Nevada! Per their diet, these fish also love to eat a variety of plants and can live for up to four years.