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Freshwater fish are fish species that spend some or all of their lives in bodies of fresh water such as rivers, lakes, ponds and inland wetlands, where the salinity is less than 1.05%. These environments differ from marine habitats in many ways, especially the difference in levels of osmolarity .
Freshwater fish include a are very diverse, consisting of more than 18,000 species and making up 1/4 of the world's vertebrate species. [10] Around half of fish species live in freshwater environments, the other half living in saltwater. [11]
Many species of frogs live in wetlands, while others visit them each year to lay eggs. Snapping turtles are one of the many kinds of turtles found in wetlands. Many species of fish are highly dependent on wetland ecosystems. [44] [45] Seventy-five percent of the United States' commercial fish and shellfish stocks depend solely on estuaries to ...
Organisms that live freely at the ocean surface, termed neuston, include keystone organisms like the golden seaweed Sargassum that makes up the Sargasso Sea, floating barnacles, marine snails, nudibranchs, and cnidarians. Many ecologically and economically important fish species live as or rely upon neuston.
Certain tropical fish lineages (such as killifishes) have however adapted to this habitat specifically. Vernal pools are a type of wetland. They can be surrounded by many communities/species including deciduous forest, grassland, lodgepole pine forest, blue oak woodland, sagebrush steppe, succulent coastal scrub and prairie.
Wetlands exist on every continent, except Antarctica. [19] The water in wetlands is either freshwater, brackish or saltwater. [18] The main types of wetland are defined based on the dominant plants and the source of the water. For example, marshes are wetlands dominated by emergent herbaceous vegetation such as reeds, cattails and sedges.
Coastal wetlands also reduce pollution from human waste, [41] [42] remove excess nutrients from the water column, [43] trap pollutants, [44] and sequester carbon. [45] Further, near-shore wetlands act as both essential nursery habitats and feeding grounds for game fish, supporting a diverse group of economically important species. [46] [47] [48 ...
The muskrat is found in wetlands over various climates and habitats. It has crucial effects on the ecology of wetlands, [2] and is a resource of food and fur for humans. Adult muskrats weigh 0.6–2 kg (1 + 1 ⁄ 4 – 4 + 1 ⁄ 2 lb), with a body length (excluding the tail) of 20–35 cm (8–14 in). They are covered with short, thick fur of ...