May 31, 2011

BUTTERFLY FISH

Pantodon buchholzi

Family Pantodontidae. Distribution Tropical West Africa. Description Shape: surface fish; flattened head and back, the belly smoothly curved. Wide mouth pointing upward. Protruding pipelike nostrils. Pectoral fins broad with long winglike rays. Small pelvic fins. Color: back and sides brownish or greenish with a silver sheen; a variable pattern of lines and spots. Size: up to 6 in (15cm). Sexual differences: males: hind edge of the anal fin deeply cleft, with the middle rays forming a tube. Environment Mainly in largish, well-grown still or slow-flowing water or backwaters; occasionally in pools and ditches. Temperature: 77-86 °F (25-30 °C); for breeding circa 86 “F (30 °C). pH: slightly acid; filter through peat. Water hardness: soft water. Illumination: medium lighting. Furnishings: shallow tank. Sparse, individually planted vegetation, some floating plants. 8 9 10H121314 Feeding Live food.

Biology Behavior: is not a flying fish but is an excellent jumper. Reproduction: fairly difficult. The young fish float just under the surface, and feeding them is very difficult as they will take only food

 

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May 31, 2011

SCLEROPAGES

Scleropages formosus

Family Osteoglossidae. Distribution Malay Archipelago and Thailand. Description Shape: ihin, straplike, very compressed body. Keel-shaped underside. Very large mouth, strongly oblique Two downswept barbels on the chin. Very long dorsal and anal fins standing opposite each other and forming a fringe. Huge scales. Color: silvery yellow, iridescent; barbels can become blue or green fins yellow-green with reddish shading. Size: up to 4ft (120cm) long. Sexual differences: sexually mature females larger in body circumference. Males have an elongated lower jaw and larger anal fins. Environment In stagnant river backwaters and shallow pools with rich and overgrown vegetation. Temperature: circa 77 F (25 °C). pH: 5.5-6. Water hardness: soft water. Furnishings: plenty of vegetation. Feeding Live food only; dried food will be taken only in exceptional cases by young fish. Biology Behavior: forms schools when young, tends to be territorial when older and at times is very aggressive. Reproduction: the male carries the eggs in his mouth until development is complete. Compatibility: to be kept only with larger but peaceable fishes. The tank should be well covered, as they are very good jumpers.

 

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May 31, 2011

GUENTHER’S NOTHO

Nothobranchius guentheri Family Cyprinodontidae.

Distribution Zanzibar, Mozambique, Mombasa (Kenya), Pangani River (Tanzania). Description Shape: deep body, rounded fins. Color males have a red tail fin. and each scale on their body is blue or greenish blue outlined in red, producing a network pattern. Females dull in appearance, with dark spots or rows of spots on body and fins. Size: up to in (7 cm). Sexual differences: only in body color Environment Normal habitat consists of temporary pools and mudholes. Temperature: 64-72 :F (18-22 X) is normally sufficient. pH and water hard-ness. soft to very soft and slightly acid water (pH 6.5) are sufficient. Illumination: strong lighting. Substrate: cover the bottom with a layer of sterilized peat. Furnishings: feathery water plants such as Myriophyllum are quite suitable.

Feeding Both live and dried foods. Insects (mosquito larvae) are essential for breeding. Biology Reproduction: The eggs are laid in the bottom mud. The mature fish live for little more than a year. The eggs survive through the dry season buried in the mud. With the return of the rainy season, development is resumed, and the young hatch out and grow rapidly. Social life and compatibility: a schooling fish, but best kept with members of its own species.

 

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May 31, 2011

GLASS TETRA


Moenkhausia sanctaefilomenae Family Characidae.

Distribution Rio Paraguay and Rio Paranaiba. Description Shape: deep-bodied, elongated and very compressed. No adipose fin, and an incomplete lateral line. Color: sides of the body bright silver, darker toward the back, slightly yellow toward the belly. A broad black vertical band on the tail preceded by a yellow field with a metallic sheen. Eyes bright and luminous, with the upper part of the iris red. Smoky, mud-colored fins, with white tips to the dorsal and first anal fin rays. Size: up to 2| in (7 cm). Sexual differences: in females the line of the belly is more curved in profile. Environment Temperature: 72-77 °F (22-25 °C). pH: 5.5-6.5. Illumination and furnishings: one-third vegetation, two-thirds swimming space; also one or two floating plants. Lighting should not be too bright. Feeding Omnivorous.

Biology Behavior: lively, undemanding schooling fish. Reproduction: see H. pulchripinnis. Compatibility: good to mix with other peaceable tetras.

 

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May 31, 2011

BLACK-BANDED SUNFISH

Enneacanthus chaetodon Family Centrarchidae.

Distribution U.S.A., New Jersey to Maryland. Description Shape: thickset, short and deep body, flat-sided. Color: grayish yellow to greenish yellow with numerous but partly indistinct black vertical bars, often with irregular dark speckles in between. The first two spines of the dorsal fin are black; the following two, bright orange-red or red. The first two rays of the pelvic fins are orange; the next two, black. Size: up to 4 in (10cm); sexually mature at 2 in (5cm). Sexual differences: scarcely distinguishable; the females have brighter coloring during the spawning period. Environment Still and gently flowing waters. Temperature: cold—39-72 °F (4-22 °C). The fish keep well in outdoor pools. pH and water hardness: medium-hard to hard water with occasional replacement of a portion by fresh water. Illumination, substrate and furnishings: good lighting; deep, sandy bottom; ample vegetation. Feeding Live food.

Biology Behavior: relatively nonaggressive and peaceable. Reproduction: the father tends the young. Social life: form loose schools. Compatibility: may be mixed with peaceable surface-inhabiting fishes that are not too large, but a species tank is even better.

 

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May 31, 2011

ELECTRIC CATFISH

Malapterurus electricus

Family Malapteruridae. Distribution Africa.

Description Shape: long but thickset; thick head with small eyes that glow in the dark. No dorsal fin; adipose fin far back near the tail; no spines in pectoral fin. Three pairs of barbels; fleshy lips. Color: back grayish brown; sides flesh-colored to gray; belly reddish or yellowish white, with numerous irregularly arranged dark spots. Size: up to 3ft in (1m). Sexual differences: unknown.

Environment Temperature: 73-86 °F (23-30 °C). pH and water hardness: no particular requirements; neutral, fresh water is preferable. Furnishings: well-planted tank with plenty of cover. Feeding A predator. Live food; first earthworms and I lean meat in strips for young fish, later exclusively fish.

Biology Behavior: it possesses electric organs, arranged in pairs along its sides. Electrical discharges can be produced at will; they are used for self-defense and to stun the fish’s prey. They also serve as a means of orientation in turbid waters. Reproduction: unknown. Social life: must be kept singly. Compatibility: only fishes intended as food should be put in the same tank.

 

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May 31, 2011

SPINY EEL

Macrognathus aculeatus

Family Mastacembelidae. Distribution Southeast Asia to the Moluccas. Description Shape: characteristic eel shape, with an extended snout which contains the nostrils. The head is also long and pointed. The dorsal, caudal and anal fins adjoin one another, but are not linked by a fin membrane The soft-rayed dorsal fin is preceded by fourteen or fifteen isolated spines. No pelvic fins. Color: chocolate to tan, often with stripes on the back. The three to ten peacock’s-tail spots on the dorsal fin are sometimes absent. Size: up to 6in (15cm). Sexual differences: females essentially stronger, becoming very stout at spawning time.

Environment Fresh and brackish waters. Temperature: 72-82 °F (22-28 °C). Fish kept permanently at too high a temperature are more susceptible to infections and are shorter-lived. pH and water hardness: not important. Substrate and furnishings: the chief requirement is for cover. The tank should be thickly planted. A particularly deep layer of sand should be provided. Feeding All types of live food. The fish can suck up their prey.

Biology Behavior: peaceable; active at twilight and in darkness. Reproduction: not yet achieved in an aquarium. Compatibility: best suited to a species tank.

 

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May 31, 2011

REDFIN SHARK

Labeo erythrurus Family Cyprinidae.

Distribution Thailand: the Mekong River at Komarat. Description Shape: an elongated carp, torpedo-shaped, with an almost straight belly line and slightly arched back. Slimmer than many species of the same genus, with well-developed organs for sucking and chewing and grinding up vegetation in the low-set mouth. Two pairs of barbels. Color: back ranging from light brown to blue-black, lighter toward the underside, and spotted. A dark spot or vertical bar on the caudal peduncle. All the fins are red. Size: 4| in (12 cm). Sexual differences: unknown.

Environment Temperature: 70-75 (max. 81) °F (21-24, max. 27 °C). pH and water hardness: undemanding; best to provide soft, neutral to slightly acid water. Furnishings: large tank with ample vegetation (two-thirds to three-quarters of area) and many hiding places.

Feeding Live food of all kinds, algae, lettuce. Keep the diet varied. Biology territorial aquarium

Behavior: the young live in schools; adults Reproduction: not yet achieved in the Compatibility: easily maintained in a com-munity tank.

 

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May 31, 2011

JULIE

Julidochromis ornatus Family Cichlidae.

Distribution Lake Tanganyika, in rocky areas. Description Shape: slender body, almost completely cylindrical, with prominent pointed snout. Small mouth set low. Color: basic color white to gold. Three clearly marked brownish-black lines along the back, the uppermost passing through the base of the dorsal fin, the lowest extending from the snout through the eye and the middle of the side to middle of the tail-fin base. Size: male 2^—2|in (6-7cm); female somewhat smaller. Sexual differences: only in size.

Environment Temperature: 72-77 °F (22-25 °C). pH: around 8. Water hardness: hard water. Furnishings: reasonably large tanks with hiding places (stone prominences with recesses, flowerpots, pipe sections, etc.).

Feeding Both live and a little dried food. Biology Behavior: territorial, but easy to keep with other Tanganyikan cichlids. Reproduction: propagate freely. The young are tended by the male or by both parents.

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May 31, 2011

LEMON TETRA

Hyphessobrycon pulchripinnis

Family Characidae. Distribution South America.

Description Shape: fairly elongated body with nar-rowish cross section; has an adipose fin. Color: glassily transparent; light lemon yellow in tone; sides of body silvery with an ill-defined shiny horizontal stripe on a level with the spine. The first rays of the anal fin are brilliant yellow and sharply divided from the succeeding rays, which are black. The dorsal fin is similarly colored. Large eyes, the upper half of the iris a brilliant red. Size: up to 2 in (5cm). Sexual differences: the anal fin of males has a broad black fringe which is relatively narrow or missing completely in females. Environment Temperature: 72-79 “F (22-26 °C). pH and water hardness: soft, slightly acid water. Illumination and furnishings: strong lighting; plenty of background vegetation and ample free swimming space Feeding Both live and dried food. Biology Behavior .schooling fish which should not be kept isolated. Exhibits characteristic mating display. Reproduction: difficult to breed, since the female reputedly often has difficulty in starting to spawn Compatibility: peaceable and good to keep with othei schooling fishes of similar size.

 

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