Capacity for increase, compensatory reserves, and catastrophes as determinants of minimum viable population in freshwater fishes

► Freshwater fishes MVP increased with rmax and decreased with compensatory reserves. ► Catastrophes have a small influence on MVP of large-bodied freshwater fishes. ► MVP sizes of small-bodied freshwater fishes are strongly sensitive to catastrophes. ► MVPs of small-bodied fishes were greater than determined for other vertebrate taxa. ► Considering catastrophes is essential for recovery targets of small-bodied species.