Fish Index: October 2008

Horn Shark (Heterodontus francisci)

The Horn Shark or Heterodontus francisci is a nocturnal type of bull shark. This shark reaches lengths of about 4' and can weigh in at as much as 22lbs. The Horn Shark has sort of a camouflage coloration of black and brown spots all around its body.

Normally found from central California to the Gulf of California, Mexico this fish is not considered to be dangerous, but will bite if harassed. They also have a very unquie defense mechanism, two sharp horns on their backs that make it tougher for a fish to swallow it. Check out an Angel Shark trying to swallow a Horn Shark in the video below.

The Horn shark is nocturnal and very inactive during the day.

They don't spend a lot of time swimming, in fact they are quite lazy spending most of their time laying on rocks. These sharks feed on small fish that make the mistake of getting too close to these creature. They also feed on mollusks, sea urchins, and crustaceans. To check out this lazy shark in action have a look at the video below which shows a baby Horn Shark...

The Spotted Cardinalfish or Sphaeramia orbicularis is just one of the few different kinds of Cardinalfish. This saltwater fish is quite popular among aquarium owners due to it's relatively small size (about 3" max) and its peaceful temperament. This fish is also known as the Polka Dot Cardinal and is considered to be quite hardy as well. These fish should be fed bloodworms or brine shrimp, but flake food is acceptable as well on occasion.

These fish originate in the Indian and Pacific ocean and are often found are reefs and corals. The Spotted Cardinalfish is normally a nocturnal eater in the wild, but will tend to eat anytime of day when in captivity. This fish prefers temperatures of 72-78° F with a PH Level of 8.1-8.4. The Spotted Cardinalfish is best kept in schools, they will form a strict order based on largest to smallest.

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Atlantic Cod (Gadus morhua)

The Atlantic Cod or Gadus morhua is one of the most popular fish to catch and eat. They are often found at or near the bottom in the Atlantic Ocean, Arctic Ocean and the North Sea. This type of Cod can grow to about 6-1/2' in length and have a brown or green coloration with small spots on its dorsal side. The Atlantic Cod has an odd barbel like whisker right on its chin.

Altantic Cod feed on shrimp, amphipods, clams, mussles, crabs, lobsters and anything else they can find. Known for their light flavoring, they are a favorite among people throughout the world.

This fish's population crashed during the 1990's, but has since recovered in the years following. If you have anything you would like to add to this article such as recipes or fishing tips please leave them below in the comments. To check out the Atlantic Cod in action take a look at the video below...

The Flame Angelfish or Centropyge loriculus is known best for its striking red and orange coloration along with the vertical black stripes that really make this fish stick out in a crowd. They also have a bit of dark blue at the back of their bodies. This rather small saltwater fish grows to about 4" in maximum length. These Angelfish are a quite popular aquarium fish due to their striking colors, but are a bit more expensive than most.

These fish like many others should be given plenty of hiding spots if kept in captivity. Water temperature of 72-78° F with a PH Level of 8.1-8.4 is highly recommended. The Flame Angelfish is an omnivore that should be fed meaty food and green foods and flakes as well. This fish is reported to live to about 7 years old if properly taken care of. If you would like to buy one or more of these Flame Angelfish you can do so by clicking the picture directly below...

The Lake Whitefish or Coregonus clupeaformis is one of the most popular fish to eat in North America. They are found in most parts of Canada and also throughout the great lakes and Minnesota. This freshwater fish is normally found in deep cool waters as most fisherman will tell you. The only exception is when the Lake Whitefish is spawning in the late fall and early winter. At this time they can be found in waters as little as 2 meters in depth.

This species of Whitefish has two dorsal fins including one adipose fin, a blunt nose, fins almost look clear. They also have a greenish brown back with silver sides. The Lake Whitefish has a small mouth so it is limited to dining on insects, freshwater shrimp, small fish and fish eggs, and bottom organisms. These fish can reach up to 20lbs and are often found in schools. If you have any other information about the Lake Whitefish, including recipes and fishing tips please let us know by leaving a comment.

The Ice Fish or Champsocephalus gunnari is a real marvel of nature. This fish lives in unbelievably frigid waters, temperatures of about 1-2 degree Celsius are common. The Ice Fish have special chemicals in its blood that stop the cold water from freezing their bodies. Their blood is colorless, because it lacks iron and haemoglobin which is the chemical that makes our blood red. These fish are able to survive without hemoglobin due to the high concentration of oxygen context in the cold waters.

Due to the extreme temperature these fish grow quite slow. They can live about 15 years and reach a maximum length during that time of 60cm. Ice Fish are found in the oceans surrounding Antarctica including the Southern Ocean and southern parts of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. The Ice Fish is what you would call pelagic, which simply means that they are found constantly swimming in the mid-water depths, normally around 350 meters. Let us know if we missed anything by leaving a comment below...

The Tessalata Eel or Gymnothorax favagineus almost resembles a cheetah with its dark honeycomb markings that cover its entire body. This salt water eel is quite easy to take care of as a pet, but it does require a rather large aquarium to house. The Tessalata Eel can grow to about 6' in length, so an aquarium of at least 200 gallons is highly recommended. Live feeder fish, octopus, and squid are a good diet for this type of eel.

Water conditions in the tank should be about 72-78° F with a pH of 8.1-8.4. Like most other eels lots of hiding places should be provided in an aquarium setting. This eel is also known as the Honeycomb Moray Eel and is native to Sri Lanka.

To see this creature in action watch the video below...

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Tube Eye (Stylephorus chordatus)

The Tube Eye fish or Stylephorus chordatus is a rarely seen deep sea fish. This fish is very long! Its body grows to about 28cm in length, but it has a strange pair of tail fins that triple its length! Like some other deep sea fish, the Tube Eye fish has unbelievably large telescopic eyes that jut out of its head. This fish is a nocturnal feeder, that comes up from the depths everyday to feed on plankton.

They have a very strange method of feeding. The Tube Eye uses its balloonable mouth cavity to expand to 38 times its original size as the fish sucks in seawater through its tubular mouth, as if through a straw. Once filled, the mouth closes and the fish forces the water back out through its gills, leaving behind just the plankton.

The Siamese Algae Eater fish or Crossocheilus siamensis is a great addition to a community freshwater aquarium. This fish is quite small, it only grows to about 3-1/2" in total length. These fish are peaceful loners that tend to stay by themselves. Water temperatures of 75-79° F and a PH level of 6.5-7.0 is recommended for this fish.

The Siamese Algae Eater fish gets its name from the fact that it will eat algae right off of live plant leaves. Besides the algae it consumes, this fish is has an omnivore diet that can consist of bloodworms, pellets or flake foods. Also known as the Siamese Flying Fox, this fish helps clean your tank and is fun to watch due to its active nature.

The Albacore fish or Thunnus alalunga is a form of Tuna that has become extremely popular over the past couple of decades. These tasty fish can grow up to 140 cm (55 inches) and weight in at up to 60 kg (132 lbs)! One notable characteristic of the Albacore is that its pectoral fins are as much as 30% of the total length. Like the other kinds of Tuna the Albacore is considered to be a great fish to catch with its powerful swimming and jumping abilities.

Albacore are very low in sodium and are a very good source of protein, vitamin A, vitamin B12, selenium, and niacin. The bad part about Albacore is that has more mercury than canned light tuna. In fact, the FDA even recommends limiting the amount of consummation for woman and children. This is just another example of how the pollution we give off is effecting our ecosystem.

You can check out an Albacore in action underwater in the video below...

The Albino Aeneus Cory Cat or Corydoras aeneus is a whitish pink Catfish that originates in the Amazon River area. This fish has been breed in the Untied States and has become a quite popular freshwater aquarium fish. The Albino Aeneus Cory Catfish has reddish eyes and plenty of barbels around its mouth. This fish should be kept in water temperatures of 72-79° F and a PH level of 5.8-7.0, although when breeding a sudden decrease in water temperature can help the process.

Best kept in groups, these fish enjoy the company of their own kind. You should also provide plenty of plant life to give the fish hiding spots. These bottom feeders will scrounge off the scraps of others, but they can be fed flakes, frozen and live food. This particular catfish only grows to about 3" in maximum length, so a large aquarium is not a necessity with this fish. One thing to note is to make sure the bottom of your tank is relatively smooth with sand or gravel substrate, if not the Albino Aeneus Cory Catfish's barbels may get damaged.

The Leafy Sea Dragon or Phycodurus eques is one unusual looking seahorse. Leafy Sea Dragons have leaf like projections that come out of nearly its entire body. These not only serve as camouflage, but are also used to help the Leafy Sea Dragon maneuver around.

In the water these creatures can be almost impossible to see and are often thought to be a drifting piece of seaweed to the untrained eye. Leafy Sea Dragons normally grows to no more than 35cm in overall length. They feeds on crustaceans including plankton and mysids. Even though it doesn't have any teeth, it still manages to eat shrimp and other smaller fish as well. The Leafy Sea Dragon is normally found off the Southern and Western coast of Australia. There is even a festival called the Leafy Sea Dragon Festival that is celebrated in Southern Australia.

During reproduction the male of this species carries the eggs fixed to the underside of his tail. This brood patch, consisting of cups of blood-rich tissue each holding one egg. The bright pink eggs become embedded in the cups of this brood patch. They receiving oxygen via the cups blood vessels. To check out the Leafy Sea Dragon in action have a look at the video below...

The Chocolate Gourami fish or Sphaerichthys osphromenoides is a difficult fish to care for. This aquarium freshwater fish is easily susceptible to bacteria and skin parasites so make sure you change the water often. They are a peaceful fish that works best when kept in pairs or with other peaceful smaller fish. The Chocolate Gourami grows to about 2-1/2" in length and should be kept in a tank no smaller than 40 gallons. Water conditions of 75-86° F and a PH level of 6.0-7.0 is highly recommended. This fish is greenish brown in color and has vertical yellow strips along its body. This fish is an omnivore so it should be fed meaty food as well as algae based foods.

The best way to differentiate between the male and female is the yellow border that extends along the edge of the male's anal and caudal fins. These fish can breed in a tank so if you get so lucky these fish are quite entertaining to watch. After the male fertilizes the eggs the female will carry these eggs in her mouth for 14 days before they hatch. During this time the female Chocolate Gourami fish will not eat at all so it is very important to keep this fish healthy before breeding. This strange method of carrying eggs is called mouth brooding. To check out these fish in action have a look at the video below...

The Cookiecutter teeth to body size is larger than any other shark in the ocean. Its also has massive eyes that are used to spot prey in the dark depths. This deep sea fish is a hit and run type predator. It will actually attract bigger fish to it using its bio-luminescent. Once the fish gets close enough it attacks and rips out a piece of flesh with its razor sharp teeth. Just check out this video below to see what this creature can do to a dolphin...

The Cookiecutter Shark or Isistius brasiliensis is a small shark that grows to about 50cm (20") in length.. The shark's body has a cigar shape and is sometimes referred to as the Cigar Shark. This shark is also called the Luminous Shark because of its use of bio-luminescent. Found at depths of 1,000 m or 3,300 ft the Cookiecutter Shark is rarely seen by humans so little is known about their reproductive habits.

If you have any additional information about the Cookiecutter Shark please share below in the comments.