A survey between 2002 and 2010 by the National Zoological Museum, Institute of Zoology and Chinese Academy of Sciences recorded a total of 93 wild fish species in Beijing and adjacent areas, of which 12 species were introduced (see URL: https://www.biodiversity-science.net/EN/10.3724/SP.J.1003.2011.08072).
The results of the study were published in 2011 and the authors state that, “compared with the historical records, nearly 50% of native fish species may have extirpated during the last over 30 years. Major reasons for these losses may include continuous natural drought, anthropogenic water use, aquatic environmental changes associated with rapid city expansion and overpopulation, and overexploitation of wild fish. In order to recover and ensure sustainable use of regional wild fish resources, measures such as systematic and thorough investigation of fish resources, enhanced management of aquatic protected areas, construction of a fish germplasm bank, and legislation on local protection of species are urgently needed.”
The species list below has been modified from the study above to include pinyin and English names, where available.
| Chinese Name | Pinyin | Scientific Name | English Name | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 鲱形目 | CLUPEIFORMES | |||
| 鳀科 | ENGRAULIDAE | |||
| 凤鲚 | Fèng jì | Coilia nasus | Japanese Grenadier Anchovy or Chinese Tapertail Anchovy | found in estuarine brackish waters |
| 七丝鲚 | Qī sī jì | Coilia grayi | Gray's Grenadier Anchovy | found in estuarine brackish waters |
| 鲑形目 | SALMONIFORMES | |||
| 鲑科 | SALMONOIDAE | |||
| 细鳞鲑 | Xì lín guī | Brachymystax lenock | Sharp-snouted Lenok | |
| 虹鳟 | Hóng zūn | Oncorhynchus mykiss | Rainbow Trout | Introduced |
| 胡瓜鱼目 | OSMERIFORMES | |||
| 胡瓜鱼科 | OSMERIDAE | |||
| 池沼公鱼 | Chí zhǎo gōng yú | Hypomesus olidus | Pond Smelt | Introduced |
| 银鱼科 | SALANGIDAE | |||
| 大银鱼 | Dà yín yú | Protosalanx hyalocranius | Clearhead Icefish | Introduced |
| 鳗鲡目 | ANGUILLIFORMES | |||
| 鳗鲡科 | ANGUILLIDAE | |||
| 鳗鲡 | Mán lí | Anguilla japonica | Japanese Eel | migratory species |
| 鲤形目 | CYPRINIFORMES | |||
| 鲤科 | CYPRINIDAE | |||
| 波鱼亚科 | RASBORINAE | |||
| 宽鳍鱲 | Kuān qí liè | Zacco platypus | Pale Chub | |
| 马口鱼 | Mǎ kǒu yú | Opsariichthys bidens | Chinese Hooksnout Carp | |
| 中华细鲫 | Zhōng huá xì jì | Aphyocypris chinensis | Chinese Bleak | |
| 雅罗鱼亚科 | LEUCISCINAE | |||
| 青鱼 | Qīngyú | Mylopharyngodon piceus | Black Carp | Introduced |
| 草鱼 | Cǎoyú | Ctenopharyngodon idellus | Grass Carp | Introduced |
| 鯮 | Zōng | Luciobrama macrocephalus | Long Spiky-head Carp | Introduced |
| 鳡 | Gǎn | Elopichthys bambusa | Yellowcheek | |
| 鳤 | Guǎn | Ochetobius elongatus | Introduced | |
| 赤眼鳟 | Chì yǎn zūn | Squaliobarbus curriculus | Barbel Chub | |
| 拉氏鱥 | Lā shì guì | Phoxinus lagowskii | Amur Minnow | |
| 尖头鱥 | Jiān tóu guì | Phoxinus oxycephalus | Chinese Minnow | |
| 瓦氏雅罗鱼 | Wǎ shì yǎ luō yú | Leuciscus waleckii | Amur Ide | |
| 鮈亚科 | GOBIONINAE | |||
| 花(鱼骨) | Huā (yú gǔ) | Hemibarbus maculatus | Spotted Steed | |
| 唇(鱼骨) | Chún (yú gǔ) | Hemibarbus labeo | Barbel Steed | |
| 麦穗鱼 | Mài suì yú | Pseudorasbora parva | Stone Moroko | |
| 华鳈 | Huá quán | Sarcocheilichthys sinensis | Chinese Lake Gudgeon | |
| 黑鳍鳈 | Hēi qí quán | Sarcocheilichthys nigripinnis | Rainbow Gudgeon | |
| 棒花鮈 | Bàng huā jū | Gobio rivuloides | ||
| 东北颌须鮈 | Dōng běi hé xū jū | Gnathopogon mantschuricus | Manchurian Gudgeon | |
| 点纹银鮈 | Diǎn wén yín jū | Squalidus wolterstorffi | ||
| 中间银鮈 | Zhōng jiān yín jū | Squalidus intermedius | ||
| 棒花鱼 | Bàng huā yú | Abbottina rivularis | Chinese False Gudgeon | |
| 鸭绿小鳔鮈 | Yā lǜ xiǎo biào jū | Microphysogobio yaluensis | ||
| 凌河小鳔鮈 | Líng hé xiǎo biào jū | Microphysogobio linghensis | ||
| 细体鮈 | Xì tǐ jū | Romanogobio tenuicorpus | Amur Whitefin Gudgeon | |
| 蛇鮈 | Shé jū | Saurogobio dabry | Chinese Lizard Gudgeon | |
| 似白鮈 | Shì bái jū | Paraleucogobio notacanthus | ||
| 鲢亚科 | HYPOPHTHALMICHTHYINAE | |||
| 鲢 | Lián | Hypophthalmichthys molitrix | Silver Carp | |
| 鳙 | Yōng | Aristichthys nobilis | Bighead Carp | |
| 鳅鮀亚科 | GOBIOBOTINAE | |||
| 潘氏鳅鮀 | Pān shì qiū tuó | Gobiobotia pappenheimi | Eightbarbel Gudgeon | |
| 鱊亚科 | ACHEILOGNATHINAE | |||
| 须鱊 | Xū yù | Acheilognathus barbatus | ||
| 大鳍鱊 | Dà qí yù | Acheilognathus macropterus | ||
| 越南鱊 | Yuè nán yù | Acheilognathus tonkinensis | ||
| 短须鱊 | Duǎn xū yù | Acheilognathus barbatulus | ||
| 兴凯鱊 | Xìng kǎi yù | Acheilognathus chankaensis | Khanka Spiny Bitterling | |
| 高体鳑鮍 | Gāo tǐ páng pī | Rhodeus ocellatus | Rosy Bitterling | |
| 彩石鰟鮍 | Cǎi shí fáng pī | Rhodeus lighti | Light's Bitterling | |
| 鲌亚科 | CULTRINAE | |||
| Hemiculter leucisculus | Sharpbelly | |||
| 贝氏 | Bèi shì | Hemiculter bleekeri | ||
| 似鱎 | Shì jiǎo | Toxabramis swinhonis | ||
| 鳊 | Biān | Parabramis pekinensis | White Amur Bream | |
| 红鳍原鲌 | Hóng qí yuán bà | Cultrichthys erythropterus | ||
| 寡鳞飘鱼 | Guǎ lín piāo yú | Pseudolaubuca engraulis | ||
| 团头鲂 | Tuán tóu fáng | Megalobrama amblycephala | Wuchang Bream | Introduced |
| 蒙古鲌 | Méng gǔ bà | Culter mongolicus mongolicus | ||
| 翘嘴鲌 | Qiào zuǐ bà | Culter alburnus | Topmouth Culter | |
| 戴氏鲌=达氏鲌 | Dài shì bà =dá shì bà | Culter dabryi dabryi | Humpback or Lake Skygazer | |
| 鲴亚科 | XENOCYPRINAE | |||
| 细鳞斜颌鲴 | Xì lín xié hé gù | Plagiognathops microlepis | Smallscale Yellowfin | |
| 银鲴 | Yín gù | Xenocypris argentea | Blackbelly | |
| 黄尾鲴 | Huáng wěi gù | Xenocypris davidi | ||
| 似鳊 | Shì biān | Pseudobrama simoni | ||
| 鲃亚科 | BARBINAE | |||
| 多鳞白甲鱼 | Duō lín bái jiǎyú | Onychostoma macrolepis | ||
| 鲤亚科 | CYPRININAE | |||
| 鲤 | Lǐ | Cyprinus carpio | Eurasian Carp | |
| 鲫 | Jì | Carassius auratus | Goldfish | |
| 银鲫 | Yín jì | Carassius auratus gibelio | Prussian Carp | Introduced |
| 鳅科 | COBITIDAE | |||
| 北鳅 | Běi qiū | Lefua costata | Eightbarbel Loach | |
| 北方须鳅 | Běi fāng xū qiū | Barbatula nuda | ||
| 达里湖高原鳅 | Dá lǐ hú gāo yuán qiū | Triplophysa dalica | ||
| 尖头高原鳅 | Jiān tóu gāo yuán qiū | Triplophysa cuneicephala | ||
| 花斑副沙鳅 | Huā bān fù shā qiū | Parabotia fasciata | ||
| 东方薄鳅 | Dōng fāng báo qiū | Leptobotia orientalis | ||
| 黄线薄鳅 | Huáng xiàn báo qiū | Leptobotia flavolineata | ||
| 中华花鳅 | Zhōng huá huā qiū | Cobitis sinensis | Siberian Spiny Loach | |
| 泥鳅 | Ní qiū | Misgurnus anguillicaudatus | Pond Loach | |
| 大鳞副泥鳅 | Dà lín fù ní qiū | Paramisgurnus mizolepis | Chinese Fine-scaled Loach | Introduced |
| 鲇形目 | SILURIFORMES | |||
| 鲿科 | BAGRIDAE | |||
| 黄颡鱼 | Huáng sǎng yú | Pelteobagrus fulvidraco | Yellow Catfish | |
| 瓦氏黄颡鱼 | Wǎ shì huáng sǎng yú | Pelteobagrus vachellii | ||
| 乌苏里拟鲿 | Wū sū lǐ nǐ cháng | Pseudobagrus ussuriensis | ||
| 鲇科 | SILURIDAE | |||
| 鲇 | Nián | Silurus asotus | Amur Catfish | |
| 海鲇科 | ARRIDAE | |||
| 中华海鲇 | Zhōng huá hǎi nián | Arius arius | Threadfin Sea Catfish | Estuarine brackish waters |
| 鳉形目 | CYPRINODONTIFORMES | |||
| 青鳉科 | ADRIANICHTHYIDAE | |||
| 青鳉 | Qīng jiāng | Oryzias latipes | Japanese Rice Fish | |
| 颌针鱼目 | BELONIFORMES | |||
| 颌针鱼科 | BELONIDAE | |||
| 尖嘴柱颌针鱼 | Jiān zuǐ zhù gé zhēn yú | Strongylura anastomella | Pacific Needlefish | Estuarine brackish waters |
| 刺鱼目 | GASTEROSTEIFORMES | |||
| 刺鱼科 | GASTEROSTEIDAE | |||
| 中华多刺鱼 | Zhōng huá duō cì yú | Pungitius sinensis | Amur Stickleback | |
| 合鳃目 | SYNBRANCHIFORMES | |||
| 合鳃科 | SYNBRANCHIDAE | |||
| 黄鳝 | Huáng shàn | Monopterus albus | Asian Swamp Eel | |
| 鲈形目 | PERCIFORMES | |||
| 鮨科 | PERCICHTHYIDAE | |||
| 鳜 | Guì | Siniperca chuatsi | Mandarin Fish | |
| 丝足鲈科 | OSPHRONEMIDAE | |||
| 圆尾斗鱼 | Yuán wěi dòu yú | Macropodus chinensis | Round-tailed Paradise-fish | |
| 沙塘鳢科 | ODONTOBUIDAE | |||
| 小黄黝鱼 | Xiǎo huáng yǒu yú | Micropercops swinhonis | ||
| 虾虎鱼科 | GOBIIDAE | |||
| 斑尾刺虾虎鱼 | Bān wěi cì xiā hǔ yú | Acanthogobius ommaturus | Asian Freshwater Goby | Estuarine brackish waters |
| 波氏吻虾虎鱼 | Bō shì wěn xiā hǔ yú | Rhinogobius cliffordpopei | Clifford Pope's Goby | |
| 子陵吻虾虎鱼 | Zi líng wěn xiā hǔ yú | Rhinogobius giurinus | Barcheek Goby | |
| 纹缟虾虎鱼 | Wén gǎo xiā hǔ yú | Tridentiger trigonocephalus | Chameleon Goby | Estuarine brackish waters |
| 鳢科 | CHANNIDAE | |||
| 乌鳢 | Wūlǐ | Channa argus | Northern Snakehead | |
| 锦鳚科 | PHOLIDAE | |||
| 云鳚 | Yún wèi | Pholis nebulosa | Tidepool Gunnel | Estuarine brackish waters |
| 刺鳅科 | MASTACEMBELIDAE | |||
| 中华刺鳅 | Zhōng huá cì qiū | Sinobdella sinensis | ||
| 海龙目 | SYNGNATHIFORMES | |||
| 海龙科 | SYNGNATHIDAE | |||
| 棘海马 | Jí hǎi mǎ | Hippocampus angustus | Western Spiny Seahorse | Estuarine brackish waters |
| 鲻形目 | MUGILIFORMES | |||
| 鲻科 | MUGILIDAE | |||
| 鮻 | Suō | Liza haematocheilus | So-iuy Mullet | Estuarine brackish waters |
Some images of fish, taken in Beijing, will appear here as they are available.
乌鳢 Wūlǐ Channa argus Northern Snakehead, LuomaHu, Shunyi District, 3 October 2023 (Terry Townshend)