URBAN FISH - Do fish live in cities?

Would you say that fish can live in urban centers?

Large cities around the world are basically formed by concrete and few areas with preserved natural vegetation, usually located in urban parks. Lakes, rivers and other natural water bodies are rare within urban centers and in most cases do not have clean water.

Fish are animals that live in an aquatic environment and have the ability to breathe in water, as long as it has an adequate level of oxygenation. You may not even realize that the polluted waterway in your city can be home to some hardy species of fish. There are some of them who live in streams, rivers and dams in big cities and we don’t even imagine that this could be possible.

You might think that these fish are there because they were introduced, or because it has always been their natural habitat. However, this is not always what happens. As in most cities, the smaller streams can be connected to the larger rivers, and that’s where they can come from. Arriving in these places, if there is availability of food and the possibility of reproduction, they will settle down and stay there.

In the city of Porto Alegre, Brazil, the famous Arroio Dilúvio, is a large watercourse that cuts through the city. It has a connection with the Guaíba River and some species of more resistant fish end up entering it and staying there. Likewise, in the city of São Paulo, also in Brazil, the majestic Billings and Guarapiranga dams are home to some species of fish that have adopted them as their home.

Rio arroio dilúvio Porto Alegre Brasil — **Rio Arroio Dilúvio – Porto Alegre – Brazil**

There are many variations of fish species according to the region, however, some of them are quite common in most cities. The Cascudo is one of the most common fish to be found in streams and urban rivers, due to its ability to live in polluted, muddy and low-oxygen waters. They have a robust, perhaps even prehistoric appearance, and are one of the toughest fish species on the planet and found in many parts of the planet.

Another fish species that is also very resistant to different climate and ecosystem conditions is tilapia. This fish is of African origin and has become very popular in Brazilian fish farming, adapting very well to urban, muddy and polluted waters. Tilapia is a type of fish widely consumed as food around the world and has a very tasty meat.

Catfish can be found in some big cities

The famous Tietê River, in the city of São Paulo, is also home to the African catfish, a species that lives in the midst of sewage residues, chemical products and low oxygenation of the water of this river. For this fish, the most acceptable explanation is related to its breathing made by a kind of lung, which makes it go up to the surface from time to time to breathe. This is an evolutionary ability that some fish have and that allows them to survive in different conditions, including polluted rivers in cities.

Another species of fish that can be found in cities is the mullet. They inhabit the rivers and streams of coastal cities. This fish lives in estuaries, which are transitional aquatic environments between a river and the sea, where freshwater mixes with saltwater. In this way, they enter rivers and dams and start to inhabit these places. Mullets are also highly appreciated in cooking and can be found at fish fairs all over the world.

Mullets live in coast cities

But urban fish do not only live in the polluted waters of rivers and streams in cities. These animals also thrive in the giant Billings and Guarapiranga dams. In these immense bodies of water, fish live in abundance, reproduce and serve as food for some species of waterfowl. There are also fish that live in the lakes of urban parks, such as Ibirapuera, in the city of São Paulo. In it we can find carp, tilapia and cascudo, among other species. In these places fish were introduced, but even so, they make the city more beautiful and serve as an attraction for people who visit the place.

The next time you pass near watery places in the city, try to spot some fish. You will be amazed at the animal life in urban spaces.

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