Buffalo is the name of three species of large, dark-colored fish that live in fresh water. They inhabit rivers and shallow lakes from southern Canada to Guatemala. Buffalo are valuable food fish. The bigmouth buffalo may grow to 3 feet (91 centimeters) long and weigh up to 50 pounds (23 kilograms).
Buffalo resemble carp, but they lack barbels (fleshy whiskerlike growths) around the mouth. They have a slightly humped back. Buffalo feed primarily on zooplankton, a mass of tiny organisms that floats in the water.