Yahoo Answers is shutting down on May 4th, 2021 (Eastern Time) and beginning April 20th, 2021 (Eastern Time) the Yahoo Answers website will be in read-only mode. There will be no changes to other Yahoo properties or services, or your Yahoo account. You can find more information about the Yahoo Answers shutdown and how to download your data on this help page.
Trending News
Can saltwater fish swim along the borders of fresh water rivers, lakes, etc? Vice-versa with freshwater fish.?
To all marine wildlife experts out there, and all the yahoo community,
I have a silly question that's keeping me awake at nights. I know that many saltwater fish cannot survive swimming in fresh waters, and freshwater fish cannot swim in salt waters, also I know that there are a number of fish that can swim on both (although I'm not interested in the latter), but what about where the fresh bodies of water meet the sea? What happens then? Can seawater fish swim near the border where freshwater meets saltwater, and/or can they swim in the saltwater mixed with freshwater? Same question goes for freshwater fish? Saltwater is salty obviously, and fresh water is not, but how does the water taste where these two bodies of water meet? I know these are silly and maybe stupid questions but I just want to know. How strong, strange, etc, are the water currents if a person swims withing these mixed waters? Thank you.
1 Answer
- 7 years agoFavorite Answer
Hi Bgonza,
it's not a stupid question at all,
but yes saltwater fish can swim near the borders of fresh water rivers, lakes, and vice-versa with freshwater fish.
It's because between the areas of 100% saltwater and 100% freshwater there is what is called Brackish water, it is partially salty but not as much as saltwater. Both freshwater and saltwater can swim here and survive, but not for long before they have to return to their normal environment.
mollies, guppies, platies are all brackish water fish that are marketed as freshwater, but i've seen them in saltwater aquariums before! crazy right!
All brackish fish can live in freshwater.....but here is the problem.....with out salt in the water it sends there liver in toover time and this shortens their life...so a mollie that would have lived 5-6 years may only live 3-4.....it's hard to say as with all brackish fish their ability to live in fresh water varies by fish...
Hope this helps :)
