1. Rainbow trout
   Northern pike
2. Rita rita
   Musky

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.

1. Lamprey
   Muskellunge
2. Blue catfish
   Alligator gar

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.

1. Steelhead
   Lake trout
2. Black crappie
   Goby

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.

1. Sailfish
   Neon tetras
2. Green gouramis
   Bettas

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.

1. Warmouth
   Sturgeon
2. Walleye
   Chinook salmon

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.

1. Rainbow trout
   Sockeye salmon
2. Sunfish
   Killifish

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.

1. Mountain sucker
   Red-finned char
2. Humpback chub
   Paddlefish

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.

1. Oscar
   Guppy
2. Pleco
   Yellow perch

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!

1. Bluegill
   Coho
2. Lake herring
   Red snapper

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.

1. Largemouth bass
   Lake trout
2. Blue catfish
   Monkfish

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.

1. Whitefish
   Rock bass
2. Muskellunge
   Mollies

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.

1. Goby
   Angelfish
2. Silver loach
   Bettas

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.

1. Moapa dace
   Killifish
2. Danio
   Yellow perch

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.

1. Rainbow smelt
   Gourami
2. River trout
   Barramundi

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.

1. Gourami
   Zander
2. Snakefish
   Pearl Dace

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.

1. Dark sleeper
   Golden loach
2. Ide
   Ice trout

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.

1. Yellow perch
   Rock bass
2. Brown trout
   Bluegill

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.

1. Warmouth
   Discus
2. Gourami
   Razorback sucker

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.

1. Walleye
   Green sunfish
2. Paddlefish
   Rita rita

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.

1. Swordtail
   Rainbow smelt
2. Japanese eel
   Golden dojo loach

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.

1. Sturgeon
   Yellow perch
2. Walleye
   Gourami

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.

1. Black crappie
   Lake herring
2. Chain pickerel
   Yellow perch

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.

1. Rock bass
   Lake sturgeon
2. Japanese eel
   Gourami

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.

1. Indian flying barb
   Rainbow smelt
2. Weakfish
   Blue catfish

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.

1. Killifish
   Fourspine strickleback
2. Rita rita
   Bloater

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?

1. Paddlefish
   Gourami
2. Betta
   Swordtail

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.

1. Mountain suckers
   Japanese eel
2. Fourspine stickleback
   Neon tetra

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.

1. Giant gourami
   Devils Hole pupfish
2. American shad
   Cherry barb

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.

1. Zebra danios
   Pacific lamprey
2. Paddlefish
   Mountain sucker

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.

1. Paddlefish
   Chain pickerel
2. Rita rita
   Alligator gar

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.

1. Platys
   Danios
2. Swordtails
   Weakfish

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.

1. Oscars
   Humpback chub
2. Indian flying barb
   Rainbow smelt

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.

1. Dark sleeper
   Angelfish
2. Blue catfish
   Muskellunge

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.

1. Zander
   Warmouth
2. Devils Hole pupfish
   Red loach

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.

1. Warmouth
   Steelhead
2. Bloater
   Redgill

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.

1. Black crappie
   Lake herring
2. Brown trout
   Chain pickerel

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.

1. Zebra danio
   Indian flying barb
2. Angelfish
   Discus

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.

1. Blue catfish
   Lahontan cutthroat trout
2. Moapa dace
   Chinook salmon

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.

1. American eel
   Humpback chub
2. Paddlefish
   Spiny needlefish

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.

1. Gourami
   Carp
2. Alligator gar
   Rita rita

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.