Sri Lanka is a tropical island situated close to the southern tip of India. It is situated in the middle of Indian Ocean. Because of being an island, Sri Lanka has many endemic freshwater fauna, including fish, crabs, molluscs, and other aquatic insects.
Species List.
Class: Actinopterygii
Freshwater fish are physiologically differ from marine and brackish water forms. The low salinity and high osmotic pressure makes them so different. Few fish can be found in all three ecological systems.
There are 95 species of freshwater fish occur in the country, where 53 of those are endemic. 41% of all known species of fish of Sri Lanka are found in freshwater. There are about 70% of endemism of those fish. Most of them are listed into IUCN categories. Four "Devario" species were described in 2017 by Batuwita et al. However, the taxonomy and descriptions were cited as problematic by fellow local ichthyologists.
Note: introduced species are not included in the list. Go to "List of introduced fish in Sri Lanka".
Freshwater eels.
Order: Anguilliformes. Family: Anguillidae
There are 19 species and 6 subspecies in this family are all in genus "Anguilla". Sri Lanka is home for 2 freshwater eels.
Carps and allies.
Order: Cypriniformes. Family: Cyprinidae
About over 320 genera, and more than 3,250 species are included in this family. 52 species found in Sri Lanka.
River loaches.
Family: Balitoridae
True Loaches.
Family: Cobitidae
Naked catfishes.
Order: Siluriformes. Family: Bagridae
Sheat catfishes.
Family: Siluridae
Airbreathing catfishes.
Family: Clariidae
Airsac catfishes.
Family: Heteropneustidae
Swamp eels.
Order: Synbranchiformes. Family: Synbranchidae
Rivulines.
Order: Cyprinodontiformes. Family: Aplocheilidae
Ricefish.
Family: Adrianichthyidae
Cichlids.
Order: Perciformes. Family: Cichlidae
Climbing perches.
Family: Anabantidae
Gourami.
Family: Osphronemidae
Snakeheads.
Family: Channidae
Garfishes.
Family: Belonidae
Sleeper gobies.
Family: Eleotridae
Spiny eels.
Family: Mastacembelidae
Gobies.
Family: Gobiidae