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    Freshwater Aquariums in Your Life
    Freshwater Aquariums in Your Life
    Freshwater Aquariums in Your Life
    Ebook119 pages56 minutes

    Freshwater Aquariums in Your Life

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    About this ebook

    Freshwater Aquariums for the Novice or Experienced Aquarist, Freshwater Aquariums in Your Life covers setting up the tank, the ideal fish to keep in your community aquarium and how to keep your fish and aquarium in top condition through good care and regular maintenance. The practical, easy-to-use information tells you what you need to know so you can spend more time enjoying your aquarium. Freshwater Aquariums in Your Life includes a special chapter on the best and worst fish to keep in your aquarium. Beautiful professional photos take you into the world of the aquarium and its creatures. The info-packed sidebars and fun facts make caring for your aquarium easy and rewarding.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherTurner Publishing Company
    Release dateMay 5, 2008
    ISBN9780470366868
    Freshwater Aquariums in Your Life

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      Book preview

      Freshwater Aquariums in Your Life - Amanda Pisani

      part one

      Welcome to the World of the Freshwater Aquarium

      External Features of a Freshwater Fish

      About

      Freshwater Fish

      The world of fish is both fascinating and complex. This book will help you understand this world and teach you what you need to know to successfully set up and maintain a freshwater aquarium. This requires a general knowledge of fish, their anatomy and biology, as well as a thorough understanding of their proper care and husbandry. First, we will take a look at fish anatomy and what makes these animals so unique. Then we’ll examine the aquarium and the importance of meeting the biological needs of fish.

      Fish Evolution

      Fish have evolved for over 400 million years to be the most numerous and diverse of the major vertebrate groups. There are well over 20,000 known species of fish that currently inhabit the earth and many more are being discovered every year.

      Since salt water covers over 70 percent of the earth’s surface and fresh water only 1 percent, one would expect that there would be many more marine (saltwater) species than freshwater species of fish. Actually, 41 percent of the world’s fish species inhabit strictly freshwater. Although quite similar in many ways to their marine counterparts, the freshwater fish have adapted to a much wider range of habitats and to a greater variety of water conditions.

      Fish Biology

      There are no less than 8,000 kinds of freshwater fish, yet all fish have some common attributes. Since water is 800 times denser than air, fish have developed a variety of ways to move easily, breathe and feed in this dense medium. The biological adaptations involved include the body shape, fins, scales and swim bladder.

      Forty-one percent of the world’s fish species inhabit freshwater, like this Leopard Corydoras.

      Body Form

      A great deal can be learned about a species of fish by looking at its body form or shape. Fish that are streamlined or bullet shaped are specially adapted to open waters while flat or stocky fish are well adapted for living on or close to the bottom.

      Fins

      Almost all species of fish have fins in one form or another. The fins are critically important appendages which allow the fish to propel, stabilize, maneuver and stop. In some cases, fins have developed to protect the fish as well. Again, depending on the type of fish and the habitat it lives in, the fins can take on many shapes and functions. Bottom, sedentary, or slower moving fish possess rounded fins while faster, open water fish generally have longer, pointed fins.

      Fish with streamlined body shapes, like this Swordtail, are adapted to open waters.

      Fins can be either paired or unpaired depending on species and function. The pectoral fins are the paired fins closest to the head. These fins act to help the fish stabilize, turn, maneuver, hover and swim backwards. The pelvic fins are also paired and in general act as brakes while aiding in stabilizing and turning the fish. The dorsal and anal fins are unpaired fins that may be elongated or short, elaborate or simple, singular or multiple. In some species of fish, the dorsal or anal fin may be completely lacking. Both fins help stabilize the fish and keep it moving straight. The caudal or tail fin is a single fin largely responsible for propelling the fish forward. This fin can also assist in turning and braking. Faster fish have deeply forked caudal fins while many deep-bodied and bottom fish have square or rounded tails.

      Fish Anatomy

      There are thousands of different species of fish, all uniquely adapted to their particular environments. However, most share fundamental characteristics that allow them to be classified together as fish.

      Gills: These enable the fish to take in oxygen from the water.

      Fins: These move the fish through the water, providing propulsion and steering.

      Swim Bladder: This organ fills up with air, thereby controlling the fish’s level in the water column.

      Lateral Line: This sensory organ alerts the fish to movement close by. Helps fish in schools to move in synchronization.

      Scales: These streamline and protect the body of the fish as it moves through the water.

      In general, the main supporting structures of fish fins are soft rays. However, anyone who has handled a fish knows that the dorsal, anal or pectoral fins of many species also have spines. These sharp bony structures provide protection against predators.

      Scales

      The bodies of most tropical fish are covered with scales. The scales are composed of a hard bony substance and serve to protect the fish, reducing the chance of injury and infection. Covering the scales is a very thin layer of epidermal tissue that contains mucous cells. These cells produce the slimy texture that we normally attribute to fish. The mucous coating not only protects the fish against injury and infection but helps the fish swim more easily in the water, reducing friction between the body and water.

      The scales of a fish are actually translucent and lack color. The source of the vibrant colors of tropical fish comes from specialized pigment cells called chromatophores in the dermal layer of the skin. (Fish that are clear, like the Glassfish, lack these pigments.) The color of the fish depends on the types of chromatophores present.

      This Black Laced Angelfish has a three-chambered swim bladder that helps it to maintain the proper level in the water column.

      Swim Bladder

      Most species have a special organ called the swim bladder. This gas-filled sac located in the abdominal cavity of the fish acts as a life vest, keeping the fish at the correct level in the water column. There are many types of swim bladders and different methods fish use to fill the swim bladder with air. Some have a direct connection between the esophagus and the bladder and simply swallow air to fill it. Others must rely on gas exchange from specialized blood vessels in the circulatory system to fill the bladder.

      In addition to its role in buoyancy control, the swim bladder also

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