Thursday, November 19

Elephant Shark | Australian ghostshark



Elephant Shark or Australian ghostshark

The Australian ghostshark, Callorhinchus milii, is a cartilaginous fish (Chondrichthyes) belonging to the subclass Holocephali (chimaera). Sharks, rays and skates are the other members of the cartilaginous fish group and are grouped under the subclass Elasmobranchii. Alternative names include elephant shark, makorepe (in Māori), whitefish, plownose chimaera, or elephant fish. It is found off southern Australia, including Tasmania, and south of East Cape and Kaipara Harbour in New Zealand, at depths of 0 – 200 m.


Information Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_ghostshark

Spotted Handfish



Spotted Handfish

The spotted handfish (Brachionichthys hirsutus) is a rare Australian fish from the family Brachionichthyidae. It is classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List 2002. It is a benthic fish usually found at depths of 5 to 10 m, with overall sightings varying from a minimum of 2 to a maximum of 30 m deep. The spotted handfish is unusual in that it has highly adapted pectoral fins, which appear like hands (hence the name) and allow it to walk on the sea floor. It has a highly restricted range, being found only in the estuary of Derwent River, Tasmania, and nearby areas.


Information Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spotted_handfish

Weedy Sea Dragon | Sea Dragon



Weedy Sea Dragon

The Weedy sea dragon or common sea dragon, Phyllopteryx taeniolatus, is a marine fish related to the seahorse. It is the only member of the genus Phyllopteryx. It is found in water 3 to 50 m deep around the south coast of Australia, from Port Stephens, New South Wales to Geraldton, Western Australia. It also found in the waters around Tasmania. Weedy sea dragons are named for the weed-like growth on their bodies. This camouflage hides them as they move among the seaweed beds where they live. The weedy sea dragon is the aquatic emblem for the state of Victoria.

Information Source: https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weedy_sea_dragon

Monday, November 2

Spotted Sweetlips Care | Harlequin sweetlips



Harlequin sweetlips
The Spotted Sweetlips or Plectorhinchus chaetodonoides is a saltwater fish that actually changes colors over its lifetime. It is a denizen of coral reefs found at depths of from 1 to 30 m (3.3 to 98.4 ft). It can reach 72 cm (28 in) in TL. The heaviest known individual weighed 7 kg (15 lb). This species is of minor importance to local commercial fisheries and can be found in the aquarium trade.

As you can see, when this fish is small its body is brown or tan and covered with white spots. As the Spotted Sweetlips grows older its whole body turns white, and it develops black dots.

Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Chordata
Class:
Actinopterygii
Order:
Perciformes
Family:
Haemulidae
Genus:
Plectorhinchus
Species:
P. chaetodonoides
Tank Stats for Spotted Sweetlips | Harlequin sweetlips
Size:
3-3.5 inches
Care Level:
Expert
Temperament:
Peaceful
Reef Safe:
Yes
Diet:
Mysis, Grass Shrimp
Origin:
Indian Ocean
Acclimation Time:
4+ hours


Rio Otapa Swordtail



Rio Otapa Swordtail
Swordtails are hardy and colorful fish that make a wonderful addition to the passive community aquarium. Swordtails are easy to breed, and new color varieties are developed through selective breeding programs. Swordtails add interest and color to the passive community aquarium, and make a perfect addition for the novice to expert alike.

The Swordtail comes in many different colors with the males being easily identified by their signature sword like tail. The Swordtail is an extremely hardy fish that can adapt to a wide range of water conditions. Continue Reading

Appropriate Home: In an aquarium with at least 15-gallons of water, an External Power Filter with a BIO-Wheel, 1/4-inch or less of gravel, and an Aquarium Heater adjusted to between 78 and 82 degrees F. Click here for more about warm water aquariums. Like most livebearers Swordtails will do better with 1 Tablespoon of Aquarium Salt per 5 gallons of water. Click here for more about Aquarium Salt. 

Recommended Diet: Floating flake food plus freeze dried blood worms, which are actually mosquito larvae. Both of these foods are sold in most stores that sell pet fish. Click here for more about feeding fish. I feed all livebearers a few Black Worms every other day. Click here for more about Black Worms.

Compatibility: Like all livebearers Swordtails live best in a group with a few male Swordtails and several females. Swordtails are good tank mates for Mollies, Platies, Angels, Corydoras Catfish, Plecostomus, and Bigger Tetras such as Black Skirts, Red Serpaes, and Silver Tips. Click here to read more about several other groups of compatible fish.

Showa (Koi) Swordtails | Showa Swordtails



Showa (Koi) Swordtails | Showa Swordtails
Swordtails are hardy and colorful fish that make a wonderful addition to the passive community aquarium. Swordtails are easy to breed, and new color varieties are developed through selective breeding programs. Swordtails add interest and color to the passive community aquarium, and make a perfect addition for the novice to expert alike.

The Swordtail comes in many different colors with the males being easily identified by their signature sword like tail. The Swordtail is an extremely hardy fish that can adapt to a wide range of water conditions. Continue Reading

Neon Swordtails



Neon Swordtails
Swordtails are hardy and colorful fish that make a wonderful addition to the passive community aquarium. Swordtails are easy to breed, and new color varieties are developed through selective breeding programs. Swordtails add interest and color to the passive community aquarium, and make a perfect addition for the novice to expert alike.

The Swordtail comes in many different colors with the males being easily identified by their signature sword like tail. The Swordtail is an extremely hardy fish that can adapt to a wide range of water conditions. Continue Reading

Red Wag Sword | Red Wag Swordtail



Red Wag Sword
Swordtails are hardy and colorful fish that make a wonderful addition to the passive community aquarium. Swordtails are easy to breed, and new color varieties are developed through selective breeding programs. Swordtails add interest and color to the passive community aquarium, and make a perfect addition for the novice to expert alike.


The Swordtail comes in many different colors with the males being easily identified by their signature sword like tail. The Swordtail is an extremely hardy fish that can adapt to a wide range of water conditions. Continue Reading

Pineapple Swordtail



Pineapple Swordtail
Swordtails are hardy and colorful fish that make a wonderful addition to the passive community aquarium. Swordtails are easy to breed, and new color varieties are developed through selective breeding programs. Swordtails add interest and color to the passive community aquarium, and make a perfect addition for the novice to expert alike.


The Swordtail comes in many different colors with the males being easily identified by their signature sword like tail. The Swordtail is an extremely hardy fish that can adapt to a wide range of water conditions. Continue Reading

Panda Swordtail



Panda Swordtail
Swordtails are hardy and colorful fish that make a wonderful addition to the passive community aquarium. Swordtails are easy to breed, and new color varieties are developed through selective breeding programs. Swordtails add interest and color to the passive community aquarium, and make a perfect addition for the novice to expert alike.

The Swordtail comes in many different colors with the males being easily identified by their signature sword like tail. The Swordtail is an extremely hardy fish that can adapt to a wide range of water conditions. Continue Reading

Marigold Swordtail | Marigold Sword



Marigold Swordtail
Swordtails are hardy and colorful fish that make a wonderful addition to the passive community aquarium. Swordtails are easy to breed, and new color varieties are developed through selective breeding programs. Swordtails add interest and color to the passive community aquarium, and make a perfect addition for the novice to expert alike.

The Swordtail comes in many different colors with the males being easily identified by their signature sword like tail. The Swordtail is an extremely hardy fish that can adapt to a wide range of water conditions. Continue Reading

Appropriate Home: In an aquarium with at least 15-gallons of water, an External Power Filter with a BIO-Wheel, 1/4-inch or less of gravel, and an Aquarium Heater adjusted to between 78 and 82 degrees F. Click here for more about warm water aquariums. Like most livebearers Swordtails will do better with 1 Tablespoon of Aquarium Salt per 5 gallons of water. Click here for more about Aquarium Salt. 
                             
Recommended Diet: Floating flake food plus freeze dried blood worms, which are actually mosquito larvae. Both of these foods are sold in most stores that sell pet fish. Click here for more about feeding fish. I feed all livebearers a few Black Worms every other day. Click here for more about Black Worms.
                             
Compatibility: Like all livebearers Swordtails live best in a group with a few male Swordtails and several females. Swordtails are good tank mates for Mollies, Platies, Angels, Corydoras Catfish, Plecostomus, and Bigger Tetras such as Black Skirts, Red Serpaes, and Silver Tips. Click here to read more about several other groups of compatible fish.

Lyretail Swords | Lyretail Swordtails



Lyretail Swords
Swordtails are hardy and colorful fish that make a wonderful addition to the passive community aquarium. Swordtails are easy to breed, and new color varieties are developed through selective breeding programs. Swordtails add interest and color to the passive community aquarium, and make a perfect addition for the novice to expert alike.

The Swordtail comes in many different colors with the males being easily identified by their signature sword like tail. The Swordtail is an extremely hardy fish that can adapt to a wide range of water conditions. Continue Reading

Kohaku (Koi) Swordtails | Kohaku Swordtails

Kohaku Swordtails
Swordtails are hardy and colorful fish that make a wonderful addition to the passive community aquarium. Swordtails are easy to breed, and new color varieties are developed through selective breeding programs. Swordtails add interest and color to the passive community aquarium, and make a perfect addition for the novice to expert alike.


The Swordtail comes in many different colors with the males being easily identified by their signature sword like tail. The Swordtail is an extremely hardy fish that can adapt to a wide range of water conditions. Continue Reading

Hifin Swordtails | Hi - Fin Swordtails



Hi fin Swordtails
Swordtails are hardy and colorful fish that make a wonderful addition to the passive community aquarium. Swordtails are easy to breed, and new color varieties are developed through selective breeding programs. Swordtails add interest and color to the passive community aquarium, and make a perfect addition for the novice to expert alike.


The Swordtail comes in many different colors with the males being easily identified by their signature sword like tail. The Swordtail is an extremely hardy fish that can adapt to a wide range of water conditions. Continue Reading

Green Swords | Green Swordtails

Green Swordtails
Swordtails are hardy and colorful fish that make a wonderful addition to the passive community aquarium. Swordtails are easy to breed, and new color varieties are developed through selective breeding programs. Swordtails add interest and color to the passive community aquarium, and make a perfect addition for the novice to expert alike.


The Swordtail comes in many different colors with the males being easily identified by their signature sword like tail. The Swordtail is an extremely hardy fish that can adapt to a wide range of water conditions. Continue Reading

Painted Sword | Painted Swordtails



Painted Sword
Swordtails are hardy and colorful fish that make a wonderful addition to the passive community aquarium. Swordtails are easy to breed, and new color varieties are developed through selective breeding programs. Swordtails add interest and color to the passive community aquarium, and make a perfect addition for the novice to expert alike.

The Swordtail comes in many different colors with the males being easily identified by their signature sword like tail. The Swordtail is an extremely hardy fish that can adapt to a wide range of water conditions. Continue Reading

Appropriate Home: In an aquarium with at least 15-gallons of water, an External Power Filter with a BIO-Wheel, 1/4-inch or less of gravel, and an Aquarium Heater adjusted to between 78 and 82 degrees F. Click here for more about warm water aquariums. Like most livebearers Swordtails will do better with 1 Tablespoon of Aquarium Salt per 5 gallons of water. Click here for more about Aquarium Salt. 
                               
Recommended Diet: Floating flake food plus freeze dried blood worms, which are actually mosquito larvae. Both of these foods are sold in most stores that sell pet fish. Click here for more about feeding fish. I feed all livebearers a few Black Worms every other day. Click here for more about Black Worms.
                               
Compatibility: Like all livebearers Swordtails live best in a group with a few male Swordtails and several females. Swordtails are good tank mates for Mollies, Platies, Angels, Corydoras Catfish, Plecostomus, and Bigger Tetras such as Black Skirts, Red Serpaes, and Silver Tips. Click here to read more about several other groups of compatible fish.

Gold Spotted Sword



Gold Spotted Sword
Swordtails are hardy and colorful fish that make a wonderful addition to the passive community aquarium. Swordtails are easy to breed, and new color varieties are developed through selective breeding programs. Swordtails add interest and color to the passive community aquarium, and make a perfect addition for the novice to expert alike.


The Swordtail comes in many different colors with the males being easily identified by their signature sword like tail. The Swordtail is an extremely hardy fish that can adapt to a wide range of water conditions. Continue Reading

Black Sword Tails | Black Swordtails



Black Swordtails
Swordtails are hardy and colorful fish that make a wonderful addition to the passive community aquarium. Swordtails are easy to breed, and new color varieties are developed through selective breeding programs. Swordtails add interest and color to the passive community aquarium, and make a perfect addition for the novice to expert alike.


The Swordtail comes in many different colors with the males being easily identified by their signature sword like tail. The Swordtail is an extremely hardy fish that can adapt to a wide range of water conditions. Continue Reading

Hi-Fin Red Swordtails



Swordtails are hardy and colorful fish that make a wonderful addition to the passive community aquarium. Swordtails are easy to breed, and new color varieties are developed through selective breeding programs. Swordtails add interest and color to the passive community aquarium, and make a perfect addition for the novice to expert alike.


The Swordtail comes in many different colors with the males being easily identified by their signature sword like tail. The Swordtail is an extremely hardy fish that can adapt to a wide range of water conditions. Continue reading...

Redeye Swordtails



Redeye Swordtails
Swordtails are hardy and colorful fish that make a wonderful addition to the passive community aquarium. Swordtails are easy to breed, and new color varieties are developed through selective breeding programs. Swordtails add interest and color to the passive community aquarium, and make a perfect addition for the novice to expert alike.

The Swordtail comes in many different colors with the males being easily identified by their signature sword like tail. The Swordtail is an extremely hardy fish that can adapt to a wide range of water conditions. Continue reading,,, 

Swordtails



Swordtails
Swordtails are hardy and colorful fish that make a wonderful addition to the passive community aquarium. Swordtails are easy to breed, and new color varieties are developed through selective breeding programs. Swordtails add interest and color to the passive community aquarium, and make a perfect addition for the novice to expert alike.

The Swordtail comes in many different colors with the males being easily identified by their signature sword like tail. The Swordtail is an extremely hardy fish that can adapt to a wide range of water conditions.

Appropriate Home: In an aquarium with at least 15-gallons of water, an External Power Filter with a BIO-Wheel, 1/4-inch or less of gravel, and an Aquarium Heater adjusted to between 78 and 82 degrees F. Click here for more about warm water aquariums. Like most livebearers Swordtails will do better with 1 Tablespoon of Aquarium Salt per 5 gallons of water. Click here for more about Aquarium Salt. 
                               
Recommended Diet: Floating flake food plus freeze dried blood worms, which are actually mosquito larvae. Both of these foods are sold in most stores that sell pet fish. Click here for more about feeding fish. I feed all livebearers a few Black Worms every other day. Click here for more about Black Worms.                               

Compatibility: Like all livebearers Swordtails live best in a group with a few male Swordtails and several females. Swordtails are good tank mates for Mollies, Platies, Angels, Corydoras Catfish, Plecostomus, and Bigger Tetras such as Black Skirts, Red Serpaes, and Silver Tips. Click here to read more about several other groups of compatible fish.

Red Sea Urchin



Red Sea Urchins, British Columbia
The red sea urchins (Strongylocentrotus franciscanus) are colourful creatures,varying between a uniform red and dark burgundy, that crawl slowly over the sea bottom, using their spines as stilts. The sea urchin found in the Pacific Ocean from Alaska to Baja California. It lives in shallow waters from the low-tide line to 90 m (300 ft) deep, and is typically found on rocky shores sheltered from extreme wave action. 

Sea urchins belong to the marine invertebrate group called echinoderms or "spiny-skinned" animals. Close relatives of sea cucumbers and sea stars, they have spherical bodies, which are encased in a hard shell or "test", completely covered by many sharp spines. The species is large, with a maximum "test" diameter of over 18 cm and a maximum spine length of 8 cm. 

They occur on most rocky subtidal habitats of British Columbia from just below the low tide line to perhaps 90 m. Their preferred habitat is rocky ground with quantities of their food source of seaweeds and kelp. They avoid rocky areas exposed to extreme wave action and areas with sediments such as sand and mud. 

Feeding habits: This animal has a mouth with special jaws (Aristotle's lantern) located on the bottom (oral) surface. Its preferred diet is seaweeds and algae, which it scrapes off and tears up from the sea floor. During larval development, urchins use bands of cilia to capture food from the water column. Red sea urchins found in the channel adjacent to San Juan Island have been found to live a uniquely sedentary lifestyle with the heavy currents bringing an abundance of food. 

Fishery: Landings of red sea urchins from British Columbia have been recorded since 1978 and are shown in metric tons in Figure 3. Landings have increased rapidly during the 1980s until landings were reduced and stabilized by quotas in 1993. Fishing occurred exclusively in the south coast of British Columbia until 1983. The north coast of British Columbia was opened to fishing in 1984 and most landings since 1990 have come from the north coast. Fishery statistical areas where most landings have come from are areas 5 and 6 in the North and 12 and 13 in the south (Figure 4). Fishing occurs in less than 18 m depth by divers who use hand rakes to scoop their spiny catch into large mesh bags that are periodically hauled to the surface vessel. 

Behavior and reproduction: Sea urchins are often found living in clumps from five to ten. They have the ability to regenerate lost spines. Lifespan often exceeds 30 years, and scientists have found some specimens to be over 200 years old. 

Spawning peaks between June and September. Eggs are fertilized externally while they float in the ocean, and planktonic larvae remain in the water column for about a month before settling on the bottom of the sea floor, where they undergo metamorphosis into juvenile urchins. These juveniles use chemical cues to locate adults. Although juveniles are found almost exclusively under aggregated adults, the adults and juveniles are not directly related.

Information Source: 
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_sea_urchin
  • http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/science/publications/uww-msm/articles/urchin-oursin-eng.htm
Red Sea Urchin at a glance:
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Echinodermata
Class:
Echinoidea
Order:
Echinoida
Family:
Strongylocentrotidae
Genus:
Mesocentrotus
Species:
M. franciscanus
Binomial name
Mesocentrotus franciscanus (Aggasiz, 1863)
Synonyms
Strongylocentrotus franciscanus
Toxocidaris franciscana
Toxocidaris franciscanus