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 The mountain wagtail (''Motacilla clara''), also known as the long-tailed wagtail or grey-backed wagtail, is a species of wagtail of the family Motacillidae from sub-Saharan Africa. Description A slender, long tailed wagtail with light bluish gr ...

(''Motacilla clara'') *A few swifts often nest behind waterfalls, including

American black swift The American black swift, or more simply black swift (''Cypseloides niger''), is a species of bird that is found from northern British Columbia in Canada through the United States and Mexico to Costa Rica and Brazil. They are also found in the C ...

(''Cypseloides niger''), giant swiftlet (''Hydrochous gigas''),

great dusky swift The great dusky swift (''Cypseloides senex'') is a species of bird in subfamily Cypseloidinae of the swift family Apodidae.HBW and BirdLife International (2021) Handbook of the Birds of the World and BirdLife International digital checklist of ...

(''Cypseloides senex'') and

white-collared swift The white-collared swift (''Streptoprocne zonaris'') is a species of bird in subfamily Cypseloidinae of the swift family Apodidae. It is found in Mexico, the Greater and Lesser Antilles, Trinidad, and every mainland South America country exce ...

(''Streptoprocne zonaris'') *Some waterfowl, including

African black duck The African black duck (''Anas sparsa'') is a species of duck of the genus ''Anas''. It is genetically closest to the mallard group, but shows some peculiarities in its behavior and (as far as they can be discerned) plumage; it is accordingly pl ...

(''Anas sparsa''),

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

(''Hymenolaimus malacorhynchos''), Brazilian merganser (''Mergus octosetaceus''),

bronze-winged duck The bronze-winged duck (''Speculanas specularis'') also known as the spectacled duck, is a dabbling duck and the sole member of its genus ''Speculanas''. It is often placed in ''Anas'' with most other dabbling ducks, but its closest relative is e ...

(''Speculanas specularis''),

harlequin duck The harlequin duck (''Histrionicus histrionicus'') is a small sea duck. It takes its name from Harlequin (French ''Arlequin'', Italian ''Arlecchino''), 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 ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nomenclat ...

in 60 families.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, also known as the hill stream loaches. * Many species in the family

Loricariidae The Loricariidae is the largest family of catfish (order Siluriformes), with 92 genera and just over 680 species. Loricariids originate from freshwater habitats of Costa Rica, Panama, and tropical and subtropical South America. These fish are not ...

from South and Central America * Many '' Chiloglanis'' species, which are freshwater

catfish Catfish (or catfishes; order Siluriformes or Nematognathi) are a diverse group of ray-finned fish. Named for their prominent barbels, which resemble a cat's whiskers, catfish range in size and behavior from the three largest species alive, ...

from Africa * The family Gyrinocheilidae. * Rheophilic cichlid genera/species: **The '' Lamena'' group in the genus '' Paretroplus'' from

Madagascar Madagascar (; mg, Madagasikara, ), officially the Republic of Madagascar ( mg, Repoblikan'i Madagasikara, links=no, ; french: République de Madagascar), is an island country in the Indian Ocean, approximately off the coast of East Afric ...

. **''

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 tribut ...

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

Amazon Basin The Amazon basin is the part of South America drained by the Amazon River and its 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 of Boli ...

and rivers in

the Guianas The Guianas, sometimes called by the Spanish loan-word ''Guayanas'' (''Las Guayanas''), is a region in north-eastern South America which includes the following three territories: * French Guiana, an overseas department and region of France ...

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, '' S. irvinei'', is restricted to the Volta River in Ghana and Burkino Faso, and it belongs in ...

'' species from the

Congo River Basin The Congo River ( kg, Nzâdi Kôngo, french: Fleuve Congo, pt, Rio Congo), formerly also known as the Zaire River, is the second longest river in Africa, shorter only than the Nile, as well as the second largest river in the world by discharge ...

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 gener ...

'' 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''Teleogra ...

'' 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 p ...

'', ''

Myleus ''Myleus'' is a genus of serrasalmids from South America, where found in the Amazon, Orinoco and São Francisco basins, as well as 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.Andrade, M.C ...

'', ''

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. ...

'' and ''

Utiaritichthys ''Utiaritichthys'' is a genus of serrasalmid fish found in the 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 Podostemaceae and filame ...

'', which are

serrasalmid The Serrasalmidae (serrasalmids) are a family of characiform fishes, recently elevated to family status. It includes more than 90 species. The name means "serrated salmon family", which refers to the serrated keel running along the belly of these ...

s from tropical South America * The

Danube streber The streber (''Zingel streber''), also known as the Danube streber, is a species of freshwater ray-finned fish in the family Percidae. It is found in strongly flowing waters in the Danube and Dniester drainages of Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, ...

(''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. Desc ...

'' *'' Aylacostoma'' species *'' Lymnaea ovata''

Amphibians

*''

Neurergus strauchii ''Neurergus strauchii'', the Anatolia newt or Strauch's spotted newt, is one of five species of salamander in the genus ''Neurergus''. It is more specifically a newt, in the family Salamandridae, and is found only in Turkey. Its natural habitats ...

'', 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