Doctor Fish (Garra rufa)

The Doctor Fish or Garra rufa is a freshwater fish that likes to nibble on human skin!  It is even used in spas as a skin treatment! Lucky for us this fish will eat only the dead skin, leaving the healthy skin untouched.  Doctor Fish have been used to treat multiple skin disorders, including eczema and psoriasis. You can check them out chowing down on humans in the videos below.



Also known as Kangal Fish, Nibble Fish, Little Dermatologists and Reddish Log Sucker Fish these Carp are not very large only growing to about 2-1/2" in length and have a lifespan of up to 7 years. They are found in naturally in river basins in Turkey, Syria, Iraq and Iran. The Doctor Fish can be kept in an aquarium and is considered to be quite hardy. They have been brought to spas in places all over the world included The United States, Japan, Cambodia & Turkey.  

If you have any additional information about the Doctor Fish please leave us a comment below.

Northern Squawfish (Ptychocheilus oregonensis)

The Northern Squawfish or Ptychocheilus oregonensis is the largest member of the Cyprinidae family of freshwater fish.  This minnow is also known as the Columbia River Dace, Northern Pikeminnow and Columbia Squawfish and is found in North America in river, lakes, ponds and even some salt water drainage areas.  Growing to about 25" in length, they can live to about 10 years old and are considered to be a nuisance in some areas.   

Northern Squawfish can be identified by their rather large mouths which extend past the the edge of their eyes.  They have a slender dark green body with clear fins.  This species of Squawfish has 9-10 rays in the dorsal fin with 8 rays in the anal fin and a forked caudal fin.
When spawning the male Northern Squawfish will turn a yellow orange coloration with tubercles on its head and back.  They feed on insects, crustaceans, small fish, eggs and plankton.  If you have any additional information about the Northern Squawfish please leave us a comment.

Hitch (Lavinia exilicauda)

The Hitch or Lavinia exilicauda is a freshwater fish that is commonly found in California. It is from the Cyprinid family which has over 2,400 species in it, making it the largest freshwater fish family. Hitch used to be very commonly caught in California, but nowadays they are few and far between.

Hitch fish have a small head and a mouth that is always pointing upwards so they can feed off the surface of the water. Their bodies are silver all over when they are adults, but as juveniles they can have a black spot on their tail that fades with age. You can differentiate Hitch from other minnows by their longer anal fin and a dorsal fin that is further towards their forked tail.Hitch can reach about 36cm which is quite large for an minnow. They are easily confused with the Golden Shiner who has similar body characteristics. Hitch are omnivores that normally feed on insects, algae, and zooplankton. You will run across these fish in lakes and slow moving areas of rivers. This species of Minnow can tolerate warm and cool waters and can also survive in slightly salty waters as well. These fish used to be quite common to catch but recent damning and water diversion has divested their spawning grounds. Hitch fish can live for about 4-6 years. If you have any more information about Hitch that you would like to share please leave us a comment!