fish-fresh vs saltwater

From: Erich Hoyt (
Date: Wed Feb 06 2002 - 06:28:08 EST

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Message text written by "Ron Chaika"

Sir-regardingsaltwater fish in fresh waterenvironment(what do they die of?
 and vice-versa? I know some species can live in brackish water.

                                Thankyou, ron chaika
(ronmac1@southwind .net)


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This is a fish question NOT a whale or dolphin question but, briefly, fresh
water and saltwater environments are physiologically and ecologically
profoundly different. Maintaining water and salt balance are crucial for
every animal and the mechanisms for doing so vary depending on whether the
animal lives in salt or fresh water (and on other things as well). However,
there is a small percentage of fish (1% of the world species total) that
are diadromous -- able to move between the two kinds of environments.
Various salt water fish, such as salmon are born in fresh water and move
out to sea. Salmon live several years at sea before spawning, returning to
the fresh waters of their birth. Certain river eels do the reverse,
spawning in the Sargasso Sea.

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