At a lake, you can find many species that use the water as a home. Fish are just one form of life you can find in the water, as there are many more species living in lakes you may not have known about. Many of the animals that live in lakes spend their whole life in the water, but some are semi-aquatic. Let’s look at some of them so you can keep an eye out for them the next time you visit the water.
1. Lake Trout
The lake trout is a freshwater char fish that lives mainly in lakes in North America. It is the only member of the subgenus Cristovomer. They are the largest of chars, with an average length of 24-36 inches and a record weight of 102 pounds. Other names for this fish include mackinaw, namaycush, lake char, and gray trout. These fish prefer to live in cold, oxygen-rich waters. During warmer months, they move to deeper parts of the waters they live in due to summer stratification. They are native to North American areas, specifically Canada and Alaska. Lake trout have been introduced to many parts of the world, including South America, Europe, and Asia.
2. Lake Herring
The lake herring, also known as cisco, northern cisco, chub, or tullibee, is a small species of freshwater whitefish. These fish need cold, clean, oxygen-rich water to survive. These animals live in cold water and large rivers and lakes in North America. They are a type of pelagic fish, meaning they like to live in the midwater zone of lakes. Growing to about 28 to 38 cm long and averaging around five pounds, these small fish have a variety of predators. They play an important role in the diet of lake trout but are also commonly eaten by rainbow trout, yellow perch, burbot, northern pike, and walleye. Lake herring’s diet consists of zooplankton, insect eggs, fish eggs including their own, and sometimes small fish like minnows.
3. Leech
Leeches are predatory worms with a sucker at each end of their body used to feed on blood. They are closely related to the earthworm. These worms live on the bottom of freshwater lakes and feed on the small fish and invertebrates found in the depths of the water. Currently, over 700 species of leech have been recognized, with around 480 being freshwater.
4. Axolotl
The axolotl is part of the salamander family related to the tiger salamander. This amphibian inhabits freshwater lakes and is only native to Lake Xochimilco and Lake Chalco in the Valley of Mexico. Due to water pollution and predators introduced to their habitats, the axolotl population is rapidly declining. They are currently part of the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s annual Red List of threatened species. Axolotls, unlike other amphibians, don’t go through metamorphosis to reach adulthood; they remain aquatic throughout their lives. They are carnivorous creatures and have a diet consisting of insects, mollusks, and small fish. The axolotl typically ranges from 9 to 12 inches in length. Adult axolotls have similar features to salamander larvae, like external gills and a caudal fin.
5. Snapping Turtle
The snapping turtle is a large freshwater turtle that lives in or near lakes, ponds, marshes, and rivers ranging from southeastern Canada to Florida. Aquatic vegetation and small prey like frogs, fish, reptiles, and birds make up its diet. It is the heaviest freshwater turtle. The average weight of an adult male is around 25 pounds, but some bred in captivity can reach up to 85 pounds. Snapping turtles can live up to 80 years. Because of their hard shell and large size, they have very few predators. During the winter, these turtles can go six months without breathing when their habitat freezes. They can get oxygen by pushing their head out of the mud and having gas exchange through the membranes of their mouth and throat.
6. Swan
Swans are large members of the waterfowl family Anatidae. They prefer to live in or near lakes, ponds, marshes, and other freshwater areas that are not frequently disturbed. These are some of the largest flying birds, and the largest species of swan can grow up to 59 inches and weigh around 35 pounds. Swans are famously known for mating for life and typically bond before reaching sexual maturity. A group of swans is called a bevy, and in flight, they’re called a wedge. Five species occur naturally in areas like Australia, New Zealand, and South America. The mute swan has been introduced to North America, Australia, and New Zealand.
7. Alligator
Alligators are freshwater reptiles in the family Alligatoridae. There are two species alive today, as well as multiple extinct species found through fossil remains. The two species found today are the American alligator and the Chinese alligator. Native only to the United States, Mexico, and China, alligators live in freshwater habitats like ponds, lakes, marshes, and swamps. A mature alligator grows up to 6 feet in size though some can grow larger. The largest alligator ever recorded was found in Marsh Island, Louisiana, and was 19 feet and 2 inches. These large reptiles prey on a variety of small, medium and large creatures throughout their life. Young alligators eat things like fish, insects, snails, and worms. Mature alligators eat a variety of animals like turtles, deer, other reptiles, large fish, muskrats, and birds.
8. Zebra Mussel
The zebra mussels are small freshwater mussels native to the Capsian Sea. These mollusks were accidentally introduced to many areas and have become an invasive species in many countries. They get their name from the striped appearance on the outside of their shells, though not all have it. Typically these mollusks are about the size of a fingernail but can get up to 2 inches in size. Zebra mussels are filter-feeding organisms that remove particles from the water column. This can increase water clarity which allows sunlight to reach deeper into the water, making more aquatic vegetation grow. Lake floor food increases and is enriched as zebra mussels filter pollution out of the water, and this can help increase fish populations.
9. Painted Turtle
The painted turtle is the most common native turtle in North America. It is commonly found living in slow-moving freshwater habitats like lakes, rivers, ponds, and marshes. Large wetlands with emergent aquatic vegetation are habitats this species prefers to live in. Painted turtles have bright colors of red, yellow, or orange lines on their body. The shell is dark and smooth on top, and the bottom has either no coloring gray markings or red coloring. The coloring of the underside of the shell can help distinguish subspecies like the western, midland, and eastern. Typically painted turtles grow to around 5 to 10 inches long and weigh no more than a pound. Painted turtle’s main diet consists of aquatic vegetation, algae, and small creatures like insects, small fish, and crustaceans. During the day, these turtles spend hours basking in the sun on rocks and locks. A variety of animals prey on painted turtle eggs and hatchlings, most commonly rodents and snakes. As adults, they have harder shells that protect them from predators.
10. Catfish
Catfish are one of many animals that live in lakes. They inhabit waters around the world and are most prevalent in the Americas, with more than half the species found there. They live in a variety of freshwater environments though most prefer shallow flowing water. The catfish gets its name from the whisker-like sensory organs on its face, which resemble cat whiskers. However, not all species of catfish have these whiskers. Catfish can vary in size depending on the species. Large species include the Mekong giant catfish and the wels catfish, both of which reach lengths over 8 feet long. The smallest catfish species include the candiru, which is a parasitic species that grow to a length between 7 to 16 inches. The catfish has great importance in commercial use. Smaller species are great aquarium pets.
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