Monday 20 June 2011

Black Moor Gold Fish

Black Moors (Carassius auratus) have deep bodies and long, flowing finnage, along with characteristic protruding eyes. They are veiltailed and possess metallic scales with a velvet-like appearance
Young Moors resemble bronze fantails. Their black coloration and eye protrusion develop with age . They can grow up to a length of 10 inches, but may not lose their velvet-like appearance with increasing age (life span: 6 to 25 years). Black demekins may also revert to metallic orange when exposed to warm water temperature. The fish can range in coloring anywhere from a lighter grey to a dark black, but most Black Moor goldfish don't stay pure black forever and many of them change colors from a rust color underbelly to orange splotches.
Black moor goldfish are popular because they are hardy fish, and because their black color sets them apart from the more common gold color. Goldfish are typically easy to care for, surprisingly, black moors in particular are able to withstand a wide variety of temperatures. They are good with other fish. Although do not get along with male Siamese Fighting Fish because of their dark colour and similar size the Siamese Fighting fish will attack the Black Moor because it sees it as competition.

Sunday 19 June 2011

Black Ghost

The black ghost knifefish, Apteronotus albifrons, is a tropical fish belonging to the ghost knifefish family (Apteronotidae). They originate in South America in the Amazon Basin in Peru and from Venezuela through Paraguay in the Paraná River. They are becoming popular in aquaria. The fish is all black except for two white rings on its tail, and a white blaze on its nose, which can occasionally extend into a stripe down its back. It moves mainly by undulating a long fin on its underside. It will grow to a maximum length of 20 inches (40 centimeters). It does not have scales.
They are nocturnal, but they are weakly electric fish and use an electric organ and receptors distributed over the length of their body in order to locate insect larvae.
The black ghost knifefish natively lives in fast moving, sandy bottom creeks in a tropical climate. South American natives believe that the ghosts of the departed take up residence in these fish,

Friday 17 June 2011

Star fish

Starfish or sea stars are echinoderms belonging to the class Asteroidea.The names "starfish" and "sea star" essentially refer to members of the class Asteroidea. However, common usage frequently finds "starfish" and "sea star" also applied to ophiuroids which are correctly referred to as "brittle stars" or "basket stars".
There are 2,000 living species of starfish that occur in all the world's oceans, including the Atlantic, Pacific, Indian as well as in the Arctic and the Southern Ocean (i.e., Antarctic) regions. Starfish occur across a broad depth range from the intertidal to abyssal depths (>6000 m).
Starfish are among the most familiar of marine animals and possess a number of widely known traits, such as regeneration and feeding on mussels. Starfish possess a wide diversity of body forms and feeding methods. The extent that Asteroidea can regenerate varies with individual species. Broadly speaking, starfish are opportunistic feeders, with several species having specialized feeding behavior, including suspension feeding and specialized predation on specific prey.
The Asteroidea occupy several important roles throughout ecology and biology. Sea stars, such as the Ochre sea star (Pisaster ochraceus) have become widely known as the example of the keystone species concept in ecology. The tropical Crown of Thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci) are voracious predators of coral throughout the Indo-Pacific region. Other starfish, such as members of the Asterinidae are frequently used in developmental biology.

Tuesday 14 June 2011

The black tetra also known as the black skirt tetra, high-fin black skirt tetra or black widow tetra is a freshwater fish of the characin family (family Characidae) (which includes all tetras, including the piranha), of order Characiformes. It is native to the Paraguay and Guaporé River basins of southern Brazil, Argentina, and Bolivia.
Growing to about 6 cm (2.5 in) total length, the black tetra has a roughly tetragonal body shape and is greyish in colour, fading from light at the nose to near black at the tail. Two prominent black vertical bars appear just posterior of the gills. It is a schooling fish, and requires at least 6 in a group, but they can also make do with 3-4 tetras per aquarium.
The black widow tetra feeds on small crustaceans, insects, and worms.
The white widow tetra reaches sexual maturity at about two years of age. They will spawn in water 78 degrees F. A separate spawning tank, heavily planted and at least 15 gallons, is recommended. Like most characins, white tetras spawn by intermittently releasing and fertilizing eggs among the plants. These fish are frequent egg-eaters and must be removed after spawning. The young are easy to raise, subsisting on newly hatched brine shrimp or powdered processed foods.

Blue Tang Dory


Paracanthurus hepatus is a species of Indo-Pacific surgeonfish. A popular fish in marine aquaria, it is the only member of the genus Paracanthurus. A number of common names are attributed to the species, including regal tang, palette surgeonfish, blue tang (leading to confusion with the Atlantic Acanthurus coeruleus), royal blue tang, hippo tang, flagtail surgeonfish and blue surgeonfish.
Paracanthurus hepatus has a royal blue body, yellow tail, and black 'palette' design. The lower body is yellow in the west-central Indian Ocean. It grows to 30 cm (12 in.). The species' range is broad, but it is nowhere common. It can be found throughout the Indo-Pacific. It is seen in reefs of East Africa, Japan, Samoa, New Caledonia, and the Great Barrier Reef. This fish is rather flat, like a pancake, with a circular body shape, a pointed snout-like nose, and small scales. The blue tang has 9 dorsal spines, 26-28 dorsal soft rays, 3 anal spines, and 24-26 anal soft rays.
The Blue tang would have to be one of the most common and most popular Marine Fish all over the world. They live in pairs, or in a small groups of up to 10 or 12 individuals. These fish reach sexual maturity at 9-12 months of age.
The blue tang is not evaluated by the World Conservation Union (IUCN), but is of low vulnerability.
As a juvenile, its diet consists primarily of plankton. Adults are omnivorous and feed on plankton, but will also graze on algae. Spawning occurs during late afternoon and evening hours. This event is indicated by a change in color from a uniform dark blue to a pale blue.
Males aggressively court female members of the school, leading to a quick upward spawning rush toward the surface of the water during which eggs and sperm are released. The eggs are small, approximately 0.8 mm in diameter. The eggs are Pelagic , each containing a single droplet of oil for flotation. The fertilized eggs hatch in twenty-four hours, revealing small, translucent larvae with silvery abdomens and rudimentary caudal spines.












Lion fish

Pterois is a genus of venomous marine fish found mostly in the Indo-Pacific, known collectively as the lionfish. Pterois is characterized by red, white and black stripes, showy pectoral fins and venomous spiky tentacles. Pterois are classified into fifteen different species, but Pterois radiata, Pterois volitans and Pterois miles are the most commonly studied. Pterois are popular aquarium fish and are readily utilized in the culinary world.
In the mid 1990s, the species P. volitans and P. miles were unintentionally introduced into the Atlantic Ocean and have become an invasive species along the East Coast of the United States.

Sunday 12 June 2011

Silver Shark

The Bala shark, Balantiocheilos melanopterus, also known as the tricolor shark, silver shark, or shark minnow, is a fish species of the family Cyprinidae, and is one of the two species in the genus Balantiocheilos. This species is not a true shark, but is commonly called a "shark" because of its torpedo-shaped body and large fins.

Oscar

Astronotus ocellatus is a species of fish from the cichlid family known under a variety of common names including oscar, tiger oscar, velvet cichlid, or marble cichlid In South America, where the species naturally resides, A. ocellatus are often found for sale as a food fish in the local markets. The fish can also be found in other areas
including China, Australia, and the United States. Although its slow growth limits its potential for aquaculture, it is considered a popular aquarium fish.

 A number of ornamental varieties of A. ocellatus have been developed for the aquarium industry. These include forms with greater intensity and quantities of red marbling across the body, albino, leucistic, and xanthistic forms. A. ocellatus with marbled patches of red pigmentation are sold as red tiger oscars, while those strains with mainly red colouration of the flanks are frequently sold under the trade name of red oscars. The patterning of red pigment differs between individuals; in the United Kingdom, one A. ocellatus reportedly had markings that resembled the Arabic word for "Allah." In recent years long-finned varieties have also been developed. The species is also occasionally artificially coloured by a process known as painting

Shubunkin

The shubunkin, are similar to the common goldfish and comet goldfish in appearance. They were first bred in Japan, from mutations in telescope eye goldfish (Demekins) c. 1900. They have streamlined bodies with well-developed and even fins. However, the shubunkins are calico goldfish; they possess nacreous scales (a mix of metallic and transparent scales that are pearly in appearance). The overlapping patches of red, white, blue, grey and black (along with dark speckles) normally extend to the finnage of shubunkins. Blue is the most prized colour in shubunkins. Calicos originally denoted three colours varieties of goldfish that do not include blue. The best blues are produced from line breeding of good blue specimens of shubunkins. Sometimes good blues may be obtained by breeding bronze (metallic) with pink (matt) goldfish, but a grey slate colour may result instead.
It may take several months for the nacreous coloration to develop on a young fry (baby fish). Shubunkins are excellent pond fish because they reach a length of 9 to 16 inches (22.86 to 40.6 centimeters) at adulthood. A shubunkin goldfish is considered an adult at 2 to 3 years of age even though they live much longer.

Arowana

Arowanas are freshwater bony fish of the family Osteoglossidae, also known as bonytongues. In this family of fishes, the head is bony and the elongate body is covered by large, heavy scales, with a mosaic pattern of canals. The dorsal and the anal fins have soft rays and are long based, while the pectoral and ventral fins are small. The name "bonytongues" is derived from a toothed bone on the floor of the mouth, the "tongue", equipped with teeth that bite against teeth on the roof of the mouth. The fish can obtain oxygen from air by sucking it into the swim bladder, which is lined with capillaries like lung tissue. The arowana is an "obligatory air breather".

Osteoglossids are carnivorous, often being specialized surface feeders. They are excellent jumpers; it has been reported that Osteoglossum species have been seen leaping more than 6 feet (almost 2 metres) from the water surface to pick off insects and birds from overhanging branches in South America, hence the nickname "water monkeys". Arowana species typically grow to around 2 to 3 feet in captivity.
Several species of osteoglossid exhibit extensive parental care. They build nests and protect the young after they hatch. All species are mouthbrooders, the parents holding sometimes hundreds of eggs in their mouths. The young may make several tentative trips outside the parent's mouth to investigate the surroundings before leaving permanently.These fishes are best kept with live or frozen feed and they easily outgrow the tank within a span of 8-10 months. Always preferred in a large type aquarium of at least 150 gallons.

dollar

Silver dollar is a common name given to a number of species of Metynnis, a tropical fish belonging to the Characidae family which is closely related to piranha and pacu. Originating in the Tapajós River basin in South America, this somewhat round-shaped silver fish with slight red-tinged anal fin is mostly found in tanks kept by fish-keeping hobbyists. It will grow to a maximum length of 14 centimeters (5.5 inches).
The silver dollar is a peaceful schooling species that spends most of its time in the mid- to upper-level of the water. Its maximum lifespan is more than 10 years. A chin-layer, the adult fish will spawn around 2,000 eggs. This breeding occurs in soft, warm water in low light.
Silver dollars natively live in a tropical climate in the sides of weedy rivers. They prefer water with a pH of 5–7, a water hardness of up to 15 dGH, and an ideal temperature range of 24–28 °C (75–82 °F). Their diet is almost exclusively vegetarian and in captivity they will often eat all the plants in a tank. They will also eat worms and small insects.
The silver dollar is listed as semi-aggressive but it is very mellow like the pacu. These fish can be kept in community tanks with fish that can't fit in their mouths, so don't put a full-grown silver dollar with neon tetras and guppies. These fish can also be kept with larger fish like oscars, pikes, and larger catfish when full grown.

Angel

Angelfish was a short-lived mid-1990s alternative rock group originating from Edinburgh, Scotland, formed as a side-project to Scottish group Goodbye Mr. Mackenzie, after keyboardist and backing vocalist Shirley Manson was signed as a solo artist to circumvent the Mackenzies' existing record contract. Angelfish released a single self-titled studio album, Angelfish, and two singles of which the first was an EP for minor college radio hit "Suffocate Me".
The music video for "Suffocate Me" was famously aired once by MTV during 120 Minutes, where it was seen by Garbage co-founder Steve Marker. Manson was asked to join Garbage, and accepted. The Angelfish side-project was dissolved, while Goodbye Mr. Mackenzie continued on for another two years without Manson.

Fighter Fish

Description

B. splendens usually grow to an overall length of about 5 cm , though some varieties reach 5-8 inches in length. Although known for their brilliant colors and large, flowing fins, the natural coloration of B. splendens is a dull green and brown, and the fins of wild specimens are relatively short. However, brilliantly colored and longer finned varieties (i.e. Veiltail; Delta; Superdelta; and Halfmoon) have been developed through selective breeding.
This species lives approximately 2–5 years in captivity, generally between 3-4, rarely 5–6 years, fed with anabolics 7–9 years[citation needed].
The fish is a member of the gourami family (family Osphronemidae) of order Perciformes, but was formerly classified among the Anabantidae. Although there are nearly 50 other members of the Betta genus, B. splendens is the most popular species among aquarium hobbyists, particularly in the United States.

 History

The people of Siam (now Thailand) originally started collecting these fish prior to the 1800s. Known as "pla kat," which means tearing or biting fish, they were bred for competitive fighting.
The wild bettas generally would have short-lasting fights of only a few minutes or so before one fish backed off. However, once they were bred specifically for fighting, these matches could go on for hours. The winner was determined by his willingness to continue fighting. Once one fish retreated the match was over. Large amounts would be wagered on these fights, with potential losses as great as a person's home.
Seeing the popularity of these fights, the King of Siam started licensing and collecting these fighting fish. In 1840, he gave some of his prized fish to a man who, in turn, gave them to Dr. Theodor Cantor, a medical scientist. Nine years later, Dr. Cantor wrote an article describing them under the name Macropodus Pugnax. In 1909, Mr. Tate Regan realized that there was already a species with the name Macropodus Pugnax, and renamed the Siamese fighting fish Betta Splendens. It is believed that Mr. Regan got the name from a warrior-like tribe of people in ancient Asia named "Bettah."

 Diet

Siamese fighting fish have upturned mouths and are primarily carnivorous surface feeders, although some vegetable matter may be eaten. In the wild, they feed on zooplankton including crustaceans and the larvae of mosquitoes and other insects, such as flies, crickets, or grasshoppers. Fish who feed on a wide range of foods live longer, have richer colors, and heal fin damage more quickly.Typically, commercial betta pellets are a combination of mashed shrimp meal, wheat flour, fish meal, brine shrimp, bloodworms, and vitamins. These fish will also eat live or frozen bloodworms, mosquito larvae, brine shrimp or daphnia.

Gold Fish

The goldfish is a freshwater fish in the family Cyprinidae of order Cypriniformes. It was one of the earliest fish to be domesticated, and is one of the most commonly kept aquarium fish.
Goldfish were bred from Prussian carp in China, and they remain the closest wild relative of the goldfish. Previously, some sources claimed the Crucian carp (Carassius carassius) as the wild version of the goldfish. However, they are differentiated by several characteristics. C. auratus have a more pointed snout while the snout of a C. carassius is well rounded. C. gibelio often has a grey/greenish color, while crucian carps are always golden bronze. Juvenile crucian carp have a black spot on the base of the tail which disappears with age. In C. auratus this tail spot is never present. C. auratus have fewer than 31 scales along the lateral line while crucian carp have 33 scales or more.

piranha

Piranhas belong to the subfamily Serrasalminae, which also includes closely related omnivorous fish such as pacus. Traditionally, only the four genera Pristobrycon, Pygocentrus, Pygopristis and Serrasalmus are considered to be true piranhas, due to their specialized teeth. However, a recent analysis showed that, if the piranha group is to be monophyletic, it should be restricted to Serrasalmus, Pygocentrus and part of Pristobrycon, or expanded to include these taxa plus Pygopristis, Catoprion, and Pristobrycon striolatus. Pygopristis was found to be more closely related to Catoprion than the other three piranha genera.

discuss

Discus  are a genus of three species of cichlid freshwater fishes native to the Amazon River basin. Discus are popular as aquarium fish and their aquaculture in several countries in Asia is a major industry.
Discus belong to the genus Symphysodon, which currently includes three species: The common discus (Symphysodon aequifasciatus), the Heckel discus (Symphysodon discus), and a new species which has been named Symphysodon tarzoo. However, a further investigation published in August 2007 suggested that the genus held the three species: S. aequifasciatus (the green discus), S. haraldi (the blue/brown/common discus) and S. discus (the Heckel discus). Both studies suggest three species; the only disagreement is in the scientific names for each.

aqua fish tank

An aquarium (plural aquariums or aquaria) is a vivarium consisting of at least one transparent side in which water-dwelling plants or animals are kept. Fishkeepers use aquaria to keep fish, invertebrates, amphibians, marine mammals, turtles, and aquatic plants. The term combines the Latin root aqua, meaning water, with the suffix -arium, meaning "a place for relating to".
An aquarist owns fish or maintains an aquarium, typically constructed of glass or high strength acrylic plastic. Cuboid aquaria are also known as fish tanks or simply tanks, while bowl-shaped aquaria are also known as fish bowls. Size can range from a small glass bowl to immense public aquaria. Specialized equipment maintains appropriate water quality and other characteristics suitable for the aquarium's residents.