Aquarium Fish• ~8 million households

have pet fish in US

• ~1-10% marine fish captive bred– Rest wild caught from coral

reefs

• Aquatic vertebrates, usually covered in scales, have fins, and have gills for respiration

Scales

• Size• Lack of scales• Deciduous

Scales

•Growth rings– Temperate areas– Stress– Age estimate

Muscle

• 40-60% of fish muscle used in movement

• White– Low Myoglobin, O2

– Anaerobic, fast, short duration

• Red– High myoglobin, O2

– Aerobic, sustained• Pink

Muscle

• Arranged in “W” segments

Gills

• Circulation– Heart Gills Body Heart

• Ammonia excretion

Common Aquarium Fish

1. Tropical freshwater– 1O

• Guppies, mollies• Livebearers, prolific

– 2O

• Egg layers• Bettas, paradise fish,

catfish, angelfish, oscars• Active, can be aggressive

Common Aquarium Fish

2. Cool, freshwater– Goldfish, Koi– Hearty– Aquarium, pond

3. Tropical, marine– Clownfish– Increasing in popularity– Challenging– Sources of fish

Tropical Marine Fish• Most wild caught

– How?– http://www.youtube.com/wa

tch?v=MtMs_6Z_jTE– Stressed

• Space• Parasites• Specialized diet

• Rule of thumb to avoid aggression– Only have 1 fish of each color,

color pattern and shape– Avoid large differences in size

Tropical Marine Fish

• Top species options– Anemone fish– Damsel fish– Angel fish– Gobies– Wrasses– Parrot fish– Butterfly fish

Assignment

• Create your dream aquarium

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kke9LJ0sWKU