List of Freshwater Fishes reported from Belize
n = 87
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Table 1: 84 species currently present in the country/island (endemic, native, introduced, reintroduced);
Table 2: 0 species possibly present in the country/island (stray, questionable);
Table 3: 3 species demonstrated to be absent in the country/island (extirpated, not established, misidentification, error).
Table 4: 87 species reported from the country/island altogether.
Table 1: 84 species currently present in the country/island.
     
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Family Species Author Info Occurrence Common names Abundance Max length Maturity Remark Photo
Anguillidae Anguilla rostrata (Lesueur, 1817) Fr, Br, M native  American eel (English)  152 cm TL male/unsexed ;122 cm TL female  Recorded once from Mango Creek, southern Belize and once from off the coast (Ref. 30499). Also Ref. 3242. 
Ariidae Ariopsis assimilis (Günther, 1864) Fr, Br native  Mayan catfish (English)  35.00 cm TL male/unsexed  Enters freshwater habitats more readily (Ref. 30499). Also Ref. 58022. 
Batrachoididae Batrachoides gilberti Meek & Hildebrand, 1928 Fr native  scarce (very unlikely) 23.00 cm SL male/unsexed  Collected from 3 localities in Belizean fresh waters: from Southern Lagoon, Temash River 32 km above the mouth , and from Progresso Lagoon (Ref. 30499). Also known from Turneffe Atoll, South Water Cay Marine Reserve, Sapodilla Cays and Snake Cays. This was observed as a rare species in Belize (Ref. 128811). 
Bryconidae Brycon guatemalensis Regan, 1908 Fr native  Macabil (English), Machaca (English)  59.00 cm TL male/unsexed  Occurs in the Grijalva River (Ref. 6858). 
Carcharhinidae Carcharhinus leucas (Valenciennes, 1839) Fr, Br, M, Fi native  Bull shark (English)  360 cm TL male/unsexed ;400 cm TL female  For export and local consumption. Enters large rivers such as Temash river and in lagoons (Ref. 30499). Recorded from the Honda River (Ref. 79732). 
Centrarchidae Micropterus dolomieu Lacepède, 1802 Fr introduced   69.00 cm TL male/unsexed   
Centropomidae Centropomus ensiferus Poey, 1860 Fr, Br, M native  Swordspine snook (English)  36.20 cm TL male/unsexed  Reported as being taken from the mouth of the Stann Creek and from mangrove channels near St. John's College in Belize City (30499).  
Centropomidae Centropomus parallelus Poey, 1860 Fr, Br, M native  Smallscale fat snook (English)  72.00 cm TL male/unsexed  Found in Belize in the Temash River, 32 km upstream and in the mangroves channels near St. John's College at Belize City as well as in the continental waters of Nicaragua, Mexico and Costa Rica (Ref. 30499). 
Centropomidae Centropomus pectinatus Poey, 1860 Fr, Br, M native  Tarpon snook (English)  56.00 cm TL male/unsexed  Collected in Belize from the mangrove channels near St. John's College and from Manatee Bar at Southern Lagoon. 
Centropomidae Centropomus poeyi Chávez, 1961 Fr, Br, M native   90.00 cm TL male/unsexed   
Characidae Astyanax aeneus (Günther, 1860) Fr native  Central tetra (English), Billum (English) abundant (always seen in some numbers) 7.50 cm SL male/unsexed ;12.00 cm SL female  Widespread, almost ubiquitous. Found in mangrove areas near the coast up to streams of Mountain Pine Ridge (Ref. 30499). 
Characidae Astyanax bacalarensis Schmitter-Soto, 2017 Fr native   9.48 cm SL male/unsexed  Known from Sittie River, Toledo district (Ref. 118583).  No picture yet.
Characidae Astyanax belizianus (Bocourt, 1868) Fr native  Belizean tetra (English), Sardinita beliceña (Spanish)   Known from River Mullins, central Belize (Ref. 118583).  No picture yet.
Characidae Astyanax macal Schmitter-Soto, 2017 Fr native  Macal tetra (Spanish), Sardinita del Macal (Spanish)  6.72 cm SL male/unsexed  Known only from the upper Macal River, Maya Mountains (Ref. 118583).  No picture yet.
Characidae Hyphessobrycon compressus (Meek, 1904) Fr native  Mayan tetra (English), Billum (English)  4.40 cm TL male/unsexed   
Characidae Psalidodon fasciatus (Cuvier, 1819) Fr native   17.10 cm TL male/unsexed   
Cichlidae Chuco intermedium (Günther, 1862) Fr native  Northern checkmark cichlid (English)  20.00 cm SL male/unsexed  Recorded from Sarstoon and Sibun rivers. 
Cichlidae Cincelichthys bocourti (Vaillant & Pellegrin, 1902) Fr native  Chisel-tooth cichlid (English) scarce (very unlikely) 20.00 cm SL male/unsexed   
Cichlidae Cribroheros robertsoni (Regan, 1905) Fr native  False firemouth cichlid (English)  19.00 cm SL male/unsexed  Found in the Belize River. 
Cichlidae Cryptoheros chetumalensis Schmitter-Soto, 2007 Fr native   9.70 cm SL male/unsexed  Known from Belize River (Ref. 74403). 
Cichlidae Cryptoheros spilurus (Günther, 1862) Fr native  Blue-eye cichlid (English)  12.00 cm TL male/unsexed ;8.00 cm TL female  Found in the Belize River; recorded also from the Rio Sarstoon. 
Cichlidae Mayaheros urophthalmus (Günther, 1862) Fr, Br native  Mayan cichlid (English)  39.40 cm TL male/unsexed  Reported in the brackish-water lagoon in the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico (Ref. 30499). 
Cichlidae Parachromis friedrichsthalii (Heckel, 1840) Fr, Br native  Mus mus (Creole, English), Yellowjacket cichlid (English), Guapote (Spanish)  28.00 cm SL male/unsexed  Known from Belize and Sarstoon rivers. Also Ref. 4537. 
Cichlidae Petenia splendida Günther, 1862 Fr, Fi native  Bay snook (English), Blanco (Spanish)  50.00 cm SL male/unsexed  Known from the Belize River. Consumed locally. Also Ref. 12251. 
Cichlidae Rocio octofasciata (Regan, 1903) Fr native  Jack dempsey (English)  25.00 cm TL male/unsexed  Known from Sarstoon and Belize rivers. 
Cichlidae Thorichthys affinis (Günther, 1862) Fr native   14.00 cm SL male/unsexed   
Cichlidae Thorichthys aureus (Günther, 1862) Fr native  Golden firemouth cichlid (English)  15.00 cm SL male/unsexed  Found in Golden Creek (Ref. 36377). 
Cichlidae Thorichthys meeki Brind, 1918 Fr native  Panya gial (Creole, English), Firemouth cichlid (English) common (usually seen) 17.00 cm TL male/unsexed  Abundant in the Belize river system and to the north (Ref. 30499). Also Ref. 5723, 1739, 12251. 
Cichlidae Trichromis salvini (Günther, 1862) Fr native  Yellowbelly cichlid (English)  22.00 cm SL male/unsexed  Found in the Clearwater Creek. 
Cichlidae Vieja maculicauda (Regan, 1905) Fr, Br native  Blackbelt cichlid (English)  25.00 cm SL male/unsexed  Found in Belize, Monkey and Sarstoon rivers. Also Ref. 4537. 
Cichlidae Vieja melanurus (Günther, 1862) Fr native  Redhead cichlid (English)  35.00 cm TL male/unsexed  Recorded from Clearwater Creek, Belize River and Progresso Lagoon. Also Ref. 4537. 
Cynoglossidae Symphurus plagiusa (Linnaeus, 1766) Fr, Br, M native   21.00 cm TL male/unsexed   
Cyprinodontidae Cyprinodon artifrons Hubbs, 1936 Fr, Br, M native  Yucatan pupfish (English)  6.00 cm TL male/unsexed  Found in Hector creek, offshore cays south to Cay Croker, north of Belize city, found at least once in freshwater (Ref. 30499).  No picture yet.
Cyprinodontidae Floridichthys polyommus Hubbs, 1936 Fr native  Ocellated killifish (English)  19.50 cm SL male/unsexed   
Cyprinodontidae Garmanella pulchra Hubbs, 1936 Fr, Br native  Orange flagfish (English)  4.00 cm TL male/unsexed  Found in northern Belize (Ref. 4537). 
Dorosomatidae Dorosoma anale Meek, 1904 Fr native  Longfin gizzard shad (English)  23.60 cm SL male/unsexed   
Dorosomatidae Dorosoma petenense (Günther, 1867) Fr, Br, M native  Threadfin shad (English)  33.00 cm TL male/unsexed  Also Ref. 93252. 
Eleotridae Dormitator maculatus (Bloch, 1792) Fr, Br, M native  Fat sleeper (English)  70.00 cm TL male/unsexed   
Eleotridae Eleotris amblyopsis (Cope, 1871) Fr, Br, M native  Large-scaled spinycheek sleeper (English)  8.30 cm SL male/unsexed   
Eleotridae Eleotris pisonis (Gmelin, 1789) Fr, Br, M native  Small-scaled spinycheek sleeper (English)  25.00 cm TL male/unsexed   
Eleotridae Gobiomorus dormitor Lacepède, 1800 Fr, Br, M native  Bigmouth sleeper (English)  90.00 cm TL male/unsexed   
Engraulidae Anchoa belizensis (Thomerson & Greenfield, 1975) Fr native  Belize anchovy (English)  5.80 cm SL male/unsexed  Reported from the Sibun River 20 km from sea (Ref. 189). 
Engraulidae Anchoa parva (Meek & Hildebrand, 1923) Fr, Br, M native   9.10 cm TL male/unsexed   
Engraulidae Lycengraulis grossidens (Spix & Agassiz, 1829) Fr, Br, M native   23.50 cm SL male/unsexed   
Gerreidae Eugerres plumieri (Cuvier, 1830) Fr, Br, M native  Striped mojarra (English)  40.00 cm TL male/unsexed  Museum: FMNH 77820, 76939 (Ref. 33568). 
Gerreidae Gerres cinereus (Walbaum, 1792) Fr, Br, M native  Yellowfin mojarra (English) occasional (usually not seen) 41.00 cm TL male/unsexed  Known from Bacalar Chico Marine Reserve, Turneffe Atoll, South Water Cay Marine Reserve, Sapodilla Cays and Snake Cays (Ref. 128811). Reported in the continental waters of Mexico and enters rivers in Colombia (Ref. 30499). 
Gobiidae Awaous banana (Valenciennes, 1837) Fr, Br native  River goby (English)  30.00 cm SL male/unsexed ;24.38 cm SL female  Mainly in freshwater rivers and streams; feeds on the aquatic insects (Ref. 30499). 
Gobiidae Ctenogobius claytonii (Meek, 1902) Fr native   5.80 cm SL male/unsexed    No picture yet.
Gobiidae Evorthodus lyricus (Girard, 1858) Fr, Br, M native  Lrye goby (English)  15.00 cm TL male/unsexed  Common in muddy estuarine environments and along the entire coast of Belize; found also in the Sibun river (Ref.30499) 
Gobiidae Gobioides broussonnetii Lacepède, 1800 Fr, Br, M native  Violet goby (English)  55.30 cm TL male/unsexed  Found in the muddy marsh habitats and areas of low salinity (Ref.30499). 
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