The giant freshwater stingray may be the world’s largest freshwater fish. It’s also cloaked in mystery. No one is sure how many giant stingrays are left, which habitats they prefer ...

It’s an extraordinary fact: 51% of all known species of fish live in freshwater - 18,075 species. And more are being discovered all the time. But few people have any idea of the unimaginable diversity ...

Mussel shells provide living space for insects and plants, and empty shells serve as nesting sites for small fish like darters. Unfortunately, for all their allure, freshwater mussels are the most ...

This story appears in the April 2017 issue of National Geographic magazine. Hundreds of millions of people worldwide would lack their prime source of protein without freshwater fish. Yet the lakes ...

fish, turtles, dragonflies, frogs, crayfish, orchids, otters and countless others. Protecting fresh water in all its forms protects the wildlife who live in and near it. The reverse is also true: ...