Freshwater

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• Pupfishes

  The pupfishes and killifishes are very similar and were once included in the same family.

• Killifishes

  Both marine and freshwater killifishes are distributed throughout Central and Eastern North America from southern Canada to the Yucatan, including Cuba and Bermuda.

• Hybrid Sunfish

  Hybrids are more common in unfished or lightly fished waters, most likely because they are easier to catch than the parent species and are thus removed more quickly from heavily fished waters.

• Inland Silverside

  Also known as “tidewater” silverside. They are less common than and very difficult to distinguish from the Atlantic silverside without magnification.

• Goldfish

  Learn about goldfish in Connecticut, an introduced species that is native to Asia and common in urban ponds.

• Yellow Bullhead

  They were first observed in Connecticut in the early 1980s at a few disjunct sites in the lower Housatonic and upper Quinebaug River drainages. Populations are expanding in both of these drainages, and individuals have recently been discovered in the Connecticut River drainage as well.

• White Sucker

  The white sucker is arguably our most important fish species.

• Freshwater Eels

  Learn about freshwater eels, Connecticut's only catadromous fish!

• Fish Descriptions and Distribution Maps Explained

  Learn how to interpret the fish descriptions and distribution maps used to describe the freshwater fishes of Connecticut!

• Fourspine Stickleback

  True to their names, sticklebacks have very sharp spines, which can be locked in an upright position, causing these little fish to be very unpalatable for most predators.

• Fathead Minnow

  A popular baitfish, fathead minnows can be found at low abundance almost anywhere in Connecticut.

• White Perch

  Adorned with an armament of long, sharp spines, white perch are difficult for both anglers and predators to handle.

• White Catfish

  Prefer backwaters and slow-moving areas of larger rivers and streams as well as lakes and ponds. They appear to be more tolerant of brackish water than channel catfish.

• Trouts and Salmons

  Five species (and one hybrid, the “tiger trout”) exist in Connecticut. Only the brook trout and Atlantic salmon are native; the rest were introduced as sport fish.

• Warmouth

  Warmouths can be distinguished from other sunfishes by feeling for the patch of small teeth on the tongue.