A rheophile is an animal that prefers to live in fast-moving water.

Examples of rheophilic animals

Insects

*Many aquatic insects living in riffles require current to survive. *'' Epeorus sylvicola'', a rheophilic

mayfly Mayflies (also known as shadflies or fishflies in Canada and the upper Midwestern United States, as Canadian soldiers in the American Great Lakes region, and as up-winged flies in the United Kingdom) are aquatic insects belonging to the orde ...

species ( Ephemeroptera) *Some African (''Elattoneura'') and Asian threadtail (''Prodasineura'') species

Birds

* Dippers (''Cinclus'') * Grey wagtail (''Motacilla cinerea'') and mountain wagtail (''Motacilla clara'') *A few swifts often nest behind waterfalls, including American black swift (''Cypseloides niger''), giant swiftlet (''Hydrochous gigas''), great dusky swift (''Cypseloides senex'') and white-collared swift (''Streptoprocne zonaris'') *Some waterfowl, including African black duck (''Anas sparsa''),

blue duck The blue duck (''Hymenolaimus malacorhynchos'') or whio is a member of the duck, goose and swan family (biology), family Anatidae endemic to New Zealand. It is the only member of the genus ''Hymenolaimus''. Its exact taxonomic status is still ...

(''Hymenolaimus malacorhynchos''), Brazilian merganser (''Mergus octosetaceus''), bronze-winged duck (''Speculanas specularis''),

harlequin duck The harlequin duck (''Histrionicus histrionicus'') is a small sea duck. It takes its name from Harlequin (Italian ''Arlecchino'', French ''Arlequin''), a colourfully dressed character in Commedia dell'arte. The species name comes from the Latin ...

(''Histrionicus histrionicus''), Salvadori's teal (''Salvadorina waigiuensis'') and torrent duck (''Merganetta armata'')

Fish

A very large number of rheophilic fish species are known and include members of at least 419

genera Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family as used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In binomial nomenclature, the genus name forms the first part of the binomial s ...

in 60

families Family (from ) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictability, structure, and safety as ...

.Nathan K. Lujan and Kevin W. Conway (2015). "Life in the Fast Lane: A Review of Rheophily in Freshwater Fishes". Pp. 107–307 in: R. Riesch et al. (eds.). ''Extremophile Fishes''. Springer International Publishing, Switzerland. . Examples include: * Many species in the family

Balitoridae Balitoridae, the hillstream loaches or river loaches, is a family, of small fish from South, Southeast and East Asia. The family includes about 202 species. They are sometimes sold as "lizardfish" or (in Germany) "flossensaugers". Many of the spe ...

, also known as the hill stream loaches. * Many species in the family

Loricariidae Loricariidae is the largest family (biology), family of catfish (order Siluriformes), with over 90 genus, genera and just over 680 species. Loricariids originate from freshwater habitats of Costa Rica, Panama, and tropical and subtropical South A ...

from South and Central America * Many ''

Chiloglanis ''Chiloglanis'' is a genus of upside-down catfishes native to Africa. These species have modified lips and barbels that form a suckermouth. They also have a naked (scaleless) body. Sexual dimorphism has been reported in ''Chiloglanis''. The adul ...

'' species, which are freshwater

catfish Catfish (or catfishes; order (biology), order Siluriformes or Nematognathi) are a diverse group of ray-finned fish. Catfish are common name, named for their prominent barbel (anatomy), barbels, which resemble a cat's whiskers, though not ...

from Africa * The family

Gyrinocheilidae ''Gyrinocheilus'' is the single genus in the family Gyrinocheilidae, a family of small Southeast Asian cypriniform fishes that live in fast-flowing freshwater mountain streams. The species in this genus are commonly called algae eaters. They ho ...

. * Rheophilic cichlid genera/species: **The ''

Lamena ''Paretroplus'' is a genus of fishes in the cichlid family, all of which are endemic to lakes and rivers of Madagascar. The vast majority are threatened and restricted to the northwestern part of the island.Sparks, J. S. (2008). ''Phylogeny of t ...

'' group in the genus ''

Paretroplus ''Paretroplus'' is a genus of fishes in the cichlid family, all of which are endemic to lakes and rivers of Madagascar. The vast majority are threatened and restricted to the northwestern part of the island.Sparks, J. S. (2008). ''Phylogeny of t ...

'' from

Madagascar Madagascar, officially the Republic of Madagascar, is an island country that includes the island of Madagascar and numerous smaller peripheral islands. Lying off the southeastern coast of Africa, it is the world's List of islands by area, f ...

. **''

Oxylapia polli ''Oxylapia'' is a genus of freshwater fish in the family Cichlidae. It contains the single species ''Oxylapia polli'', known locally as the songatana. It is an endangered species, endemic to the Marolambo Rapids in the Nosivolo River (a tributa ...

'' from Madagascar. **'' Retroculus'' species from the

Amazon Basin The Amazon basin is the part of South America drained by the Amazon River and its tributary, tributaries. The Amazon drainage basin covers an area of about , or about 35.5 percent of the South American continent. It is located in the countries ...

and rivers in

the Guianas The Guianas, also spelled Guyanas or Guayanas, are a geographical region in north-eastern South America. Strictly, the term refers to the three Guianas: Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana, formerly British, Dutch, and French Guiana respectiv ...

in South America. **''

Steatocranus ''Steatocranus'' is a genus of small rheophilic cichlids mostly native to the Congo River Basin in DR Congo/Congo Brazzaville, although one species, ''Steatocranus irvinei, S. irvinei'', is restricted to the Volta River in Ghana and Burkino Faso, ...

'' species from the

Congo River Basin The Congo River, formerly also known as the Zaire River, is the second-longest river in Africa, shorter only than the Nile, as well as the third-largest river in the world list of rivers by discharge, by discharge volume, following the Amazon Ri ...

in Africa. **''

Teleocichla ''Teleocichla'' is a genus of fish in the family Cichlidae found in the Tapajós, Xingu, Tocantins and Jari River basins, which are part of the Amazon River Basin in Brazil. All species are rheophilic, and highly elongated in shape. They general ...

'' species from the Amazon Basin in South America. **''

Teleogramma ''Teleogramma'' is an African genus of cichlids with five species. These dark and slender fish barely reach in length and are limited to rapids in the Western Congo River basin in DR Congo/ Congo Brazzaville.Froese, R. and D. Pauly, Eds''Teleog ...

'' species from the Congo River Basin in Africa. *''

Mylesinus ''Mylesinus'' is a genus of serrasalmids from South America, where found in the eastern Amazon, Essequibo and Orinoco basins. They are rheophilic, typically found at rapids and mainly feed on Podostemaceae plants. Because of their habitat prefe ...

'', ''

Myleus ''Myleus'' is a genus of serrasalmids from South America, where found in the Amazon, Orinoco and São Francisco basins, as well as the river basin of the Guiana Shield.Ota, R.P., Röpke, C.P., Zuanon, J. & Jégu, M. (2013): Serrasalmidae. ''In'' ...

'', ''

Ossubtus ''Ossubtus'' is a genus of fish in the family Serrasalmidae. It contains a single species, ''Ossubtus xinguense'', the parrot pacu or eaglebeak pacu, The species is endemic to rapids in the Xingu River basin in the Brazilian Amazon. This vulner ...

'', ''

Tometes ''Tometes'' is a genus of fish in the family Serrasalmidae found in fast-flowing rivers in northern South America. Adults of all seven species in this genus are phytophagous, feeding primarily on aquatic plants in the family Podostemaceae. The ...

'' and ''

Utiaritichthys ''Utiaritichthys'' is a genus of serrasalmid fish found in the Amazon Basin, Amazon and Orinoco basins in tropical South America. The adults are typically found in rapidly flowing water where they feed on aquatic plants in the family Podostemace ...

'', which are

serrasalmid The Serrasalmidae (serrasalmids) are a family of characiform fishes native to freshwater habitats of South America. They include more than 90 species. The name means "serrated salmon family", which refers to the serrated keel running along the ...

s from tropical South America * The Danube streber (''Zingel streber''), family Percidae.

Molluscs

*''

Ancylus fluviatilis The river limpet (''Ancylus fluviatilis'') is a species of very small, freshwater, air-breathing limpet, an aquatic pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the tribe Ancylini within the family Planorbidae, the ram's horn snails and their allies. Des ...

'' *'' Aylacostoma'' species *''

Lymnaea ovata ''Ampullaceana balthica'' is a species of gastropods belonging to the family Lymnaeidae Lymnaeidae, common name the pond snails, is a Taxonomy (biology), taxonomic family (biology), family of small to large air-breathing freshwater snails, Aq ...

Amphibians

*'' Neurergus strauchii'', a newt from Turkey *'' Pachytriton labiatus'', a newt from China

References

Aquatic animals Freshwater ecology Rivers Water streams {{zoology-stub

Examples of rheophilic animals

Insects

Birds

Fish

Molluscs

Amphibians

See also

References