Abstract: Heavy metal pollution in fish is a global concern.To investigate the accumulation characteristics of heavy metals in fish species in Chishui River, muscle tissue from 14 fish species (Onychostoma sima, Bangana rendahli, Garra pingi, Schizothorax grahami, Hypophthalmichthys molitrix, Hemibarbus labeo, Mystus macropterus, Spinibarbus sinensis, Procypris rabaudi, Pelteobagrus vachelli, Cyprinus carpio, Carassius auratus, Silurus asotus and Siniperca chuatsi) were collected in September 2023.Differences in the concentration of heavy metals (including Cr, Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, As, Cd, Pb and Hg) among species and dietary functional groups, as well as pollution levels, were analyzed in this study.The distribution of heavy metals such as Cr, Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, As, Cd, Pb and Hg was explored from multiple perspectives, including interspecies differences, differences in feeding functional groups and pollution levels.The results showed that the contents of essential elements such as Cr, Fe, Zn, Cu and Mn were higher in fish, while the contents of non-essential elements such as As, Cd, Pb and Hg were relatively lower.There were significant interspecies differences in heavy metal contents.The Mn and Pb contents in Hypophthalmichthys molitrix, Fe content in Garra pingi, Cu content in Silurus asotus, Zn content in Carassius auratus, As content in Cyprinus carpio, and Hg content in Mystus macropterus were significantly higher than those of other species (P < 0.05), and there were no significant differences in the contents of Cr and Cd in different species (P > 0.05).The contents of heavy metals in different dietary fishes showed obvious differences.The total accumulation of heavy metals was the highest in phytoplanktivorous fishes, followed by planktonic algal dietary fishes, omnivorous and ichthyophagous fishes, and the lowest in benthic invertebrate dietary fishes.The Mn and Pb contents of planktonic algal-feeding fish, As content of entomopathogenic algal-feeding fish, and Hg content of fish-feeding fish were significantly higher than those of other fish-feeding species (P<0.05), while no significant differences were observed for Cr, Zn, Fe, Cd and Cu (P>0.05).The distribution pattern of Bioconcentration Factor (BCF) of different heavy metals was Cu>Fe>Cr>Zn>As>Mn>Pb>Hg>Cd.The logarithmic values of Bioconcentration Factor (log10BCF) of different heavy metals were less than 3, indicating that the level of bioaccumulation of heavy metals by fish was low.The values of heavy metal pollution index (MPI) in fish muscle tissue ranged from 0.161 to 0.341, revealing that the overall heavy metal content in fish muscle was at a low level.This study provided basic information for understanding the heavy metal pollution status of fish in Chishui River, and provided scientific basis for future ecological risk assessment and environmental protection.