The Godavari River is one of the most important freshwater ecosystems of peninsular India and supports a diverse assemblage of fishes of ecological, economic and conservation significance. The river originates in the Western Ghats of Maharashtra and traverses a heterogeneous landscape comprising headwater streams, free-flowing river stretches, tributaries, reservoirs, wetlands, floodplain habitats and human-modified aquatic environments. This environmental heterogeneity creates a wide range of ecological niches and contributes to the richness of the riverine fish community. The present review synthesizes available published information on the ichthyofaunal diversity of the Godavari River, with particular emphasis on the Maharashtra portion of the river. Published local investigations have reported 26 fish species from Nanded, 18 species from Dhangar Takli in the Purna region and 12 species from Kopergaon, whereas the Nandur-Madhmeshwar wetland has yielded different species totals in different investigations, demonstrating the influence of sampling period, habitat coverage and methodology on observed richness. At the basin scale, Jadhav et al. (2024) documented 152 freshwater fish species belonging to 37 families, 84 genera and 16 orders in the Godavari River, including 44 Indian endemic species, 12 invasive alien species and 20 species categorized as threatened or Near Threatened. These basin-wide data should not, however, be interpreted as the species richness of the Maharashtra stretch alone. The review indicates that cypriniform fishes constitute a major component of the assemblage, accompanied by catfishes, snakeheads, featherbacks, cichlids and other indigenous freshwater fishes. The fish community provides important ecosystem services through trophic regulation, nutrient cycling and maintenance of aquatic food webs, while also supporting inland fisheries and local livelihoods. At the same time, habitat alteration, flow regulation, pollution, sand extraction, overfishing, siltation, invasive alien species and increasing climatic variability threaten the ecological integrity of the river. Future research should emphasize standardized multi-season sampling, long-term population monitoring, taxonomic verification, molecular approaches, environmental DNA, GIS-based habitat assessment and community participation. Effective conservation of the Godavari ichthyofauna requires an ecosystem-based strategy that protects critical habitats while recognizing the socioeconomic dependence of local communities on riverine fisheries.