Fish Index: November 2008

Sirajo Goby (Sicydium plumieri)

The Sirajo Goby or Sicydium plumieri is an amazing freshwater fish that has actually developed the ability to climb steep waterfalls, and even artificial dams! It has a suction cup like pelvic fin that allows it to accomplish these unbelievable acts. These Gobies also have modified ventral fins that helps to move up and down wet surfaces.

These fish are quite small, only reaching lengths of 10.9 cm. Like the Salmon, this fish changes color when spawning. The male Sirajo Goby becomes a striking blue color during the mating season. The Sirajo Goby feeds on algae off of rocks found in the streams and rivers it inhabits. These fish are found in places like Cuba, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Martinique, Guadeloupe, St. Vincent and Barbados.

If you have any other information you would like to share about the Sirajo Goby, please leave it below in the comments...

The Sheefish or Stendous leucichthys nelma and is also called Inconnu. This fish is only found in the cold waters of the Arctic areas in North America and Asia. It is a very popular gaming fish in places like Alaska and the Yukon. This fish grows quite large, in fact the record Sheefish was caught in 1986 and weighed in at 53lbs! Here is some footage of a monster Inconnu!

Also known as the Tarpon of the North, these fish are known for their fighting ability and delicious flavor. The Sheefish has silver sides that seem to darken to a blackish green along the top of their bodies. Their large silver scales are said to resemble the Tarpon, hence their nickname.

Sheefish have a strange mouth that is almost completely square and void of any teeth! They prey on Grayling, and any other fish they can fit into their mouth. Since they lack teeth they simply swallow their prey whole. A popular technique for fishing is to use large spoons or flies in rivers. If you have any other facts, fishing tips or recipes you would like to share, please leave them below in the comments, thanks!

Orange Roughy or Hoplostethus atlanticus has a few names including Red Roughy or Deep Sea Perch. This fish is often found in cold waters at very deep levels, even up to 1,800 meters deep! The Orange Roughy has an amazingly long lifespan. It can live up to 150 years old! Even though they can be one of the oldest fish in the ocean it will only grows to about 16" (40cm) long and 11lbs in weight.

The Orange Roughy was first discovered in the early 1970's in New Zealand. To this day New Zealand remains the worlds main suppler of Orange Roughy. They are often a little more pricey then some fish and are comparable in taste to the Orea Dory.

Often bright red while it is alive, this deep sea fish is said to fade to an orangish yellow after it dies. They have a large round head and huge eyes which they use to search the depths of the ocean for mysid shrimp, euphausiids, amphipods, squid and other small fish.

The Orange Roughy fish will release fertilized eggs into the water that will rise to about 200 meters. As the fish hatch and begin to develop they will slowly descend into deeper water where they will live out their lives. It reaches sexual maturity in almost 25 years so this combined with the fact that Orange Roughy is one of the most popular fishes to eat makes this fish very susceptible to overfishing.

Know for its firm flesh with a very mild flavor this fish is normally filleted and served fresh or frozen. If you have a recipe or tips for catching the deep sea Orange Roughy please leave them below in the comments...

If you thought the Horseface Blenny was a strange looking fish you need to check out the Horseface Loach or Acantopsis choirorhynchus. This fish has a very long, thin body that they use for burrowing to the bottoms of rivers and streams to find food or hide from predators. The head of the Horseface Loach is long as well and kinda resembles a horse, hence the name. They only grow to be about 8" in length.

These fish have a nice peaceful temperament so if anything you need to worry about other fish attacking the Horseface Loach. Quite shy you will see these fish often hiding among plant life, in caves or other hiding place you give it. Even though they are nocturnal in the wild you will often see them swimming around your aquarium in the day time.

Although these fish will often dine on the leftovers of other tankmates, but it should also be fed bloodworms, tubifex and even flake foods. They make a great addition to any freshwater aquarium just watch out about adding a bunch of the same species in a small tank, they tend to be territorial. Water temperatures of 79-84° F with a PH Level of 6.0 - 7.0 is recommended.

The Greenland Shark or Somniosus microcephalus has many different names including Sleeper Shark, Gurry Shark, Ground Shark, Grey Shark, or Eqalussuaq, and even "The One". This shark lives in drown-right frigid waters, in fact they live the furthest north then any other shark on the planet! This species is often found at great depths in the North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans. They have even been caught inland in Iceland!

They are very large despite their small head. The Greenland Shark reaches lengths of about 6-1/2 meters and weigh in at up to 900kg! They even rival the Great White Shark in size! The dorsal and pectoral fins of the Greenland Shark are also small compared to its large body. They are normally brown, gray or black in color. These sharks can live up to 400 years old! This makes the Greenland Shark the longest living vertebrate animal in the world!

The Greenland Shark is a very lethargic creature, hence its nickname the Sleeper Shark. I don't know about you, but I wouldn't be moving around too much either in temperatures of just 1-12 degrees Celsius! You can check out the Sleeper Shark in this amazing underwater footage below...

If you have more information about the Greenland Shark that you would like to share or have a question about the shark please post it below in the comments...

The Two-line Monocle Bream fish or Scolopsis bilineatus is a very hardy salt water fish that is popular in an aquarium setting. These fish are often white with black around their edges and a yellow dorsal fin. This fish will stir up sand on the bottom to find their food which normally consists of crustaceans and worms. In an aquarium setting it can be fed mysis shrimp, brine shrimp or other meaty items.

They grow to about 8" in length and should be kept in water temperatures of 72-78° F with a PH Level of 8.1-8.4. This fish is often found in tropical marine waters of the Western Pacific.

The Longhorned Cowfish or Lactoria cornuta is the one of the largest, and most popular species of Cowfish. These almost alien-like fish have a pair of horns that come out above each of their eyes! They can grow up to 18" in the wild, or about 12" when kept in an aquarium. A large tank of about 130 gallons will keep these fish happy and healthy.

Watch out though, Longhorned Cowfish can be a dangerous pet. If cornered it is able to secrete a deadly toxin right through their skin! This poison will normally only effect the other members of the tank, but be very careful and never handle this fish! You can check out the Longhorned Cowfish in an aquarium in the videos below.

They like most other Cowfish they are omnivores that feed on algae, sponges, worms, mollusks and many species of small fish. If you have care tips or other information you would like to share please do so in the comments below...

The Two Spot Bristletooth Tang or Ctenochaetus binotatus is a popular saltwater aquarium fish due to its bright coloration. This fish is orangish brown with blue lines along its body. It gets its name from the two black spots near its dorsal fins. The Two Spot Bristletooth Tang also has blue spots all over its head which adds to its striking appearance.

Watch out this Tang can be very aggressive towards other Tangs, but is normally ok with most other types of fish. This fish should be fed meaty foods, but should also be fed seaweed and algae on occasion. This will help keep the fish happy and healthy! Water conditions of 72-78° F with a PH level of 8.1-8.4 is recommended.

These fish are fairly small only reaching lengths of about 8". They have up to 42 teeth in the upper jaw and up to 45 teeth in the lower jaw!

Known in Hawaii as the Mahi Mahi, these fish are quite common in places like Florida and other areas worldwide, where it is known as the common Dolphin Fish (Coryphaena hippurus). These tough fish are not only one of the fastest growers in the ocean, but are also one of the fastest swimmers in the ocean. Even at speeds approaching 50 knots, they are only about half the speed of the fastest fish in the ocean the Sailfish!

Fish can live up to 6 years old and weigh in at over 30lbs. They have strange looking bodies that almost look like they have been smashed together. Females of this species are almost always smaller than males. Often they are a mixture of golds, blues and greens and actually change colors quite quickly after they die.

Mahi Mahi feed on crabs, squid, flying fish and many other smaller fish. They are very popular sporting fish because they are fantastic fighters and are also very edible. Considered to be a feast with a special flavor that is talked about by people all over the world. If you know a fish recipe for Mahi Mahi that you would like to share or any fish tips please leave them in the comments below...

The Spotted Gar or Lepisosteus oculatus is a vicious predatory fish. These fish are found from Lake Erie south to the Mississippi River basin and even in Florida and Texas. Spotted Gar are normally found in drainage type areas, and even brackish water. As a type of Gar they are one of the few surviving species that have ganoid scales. These scales are considered to be very strong and lay over the already present cosmine layer of scale. They are diamond shaped, shiny and very tough.

The Spotted Gar is a long slender fish that can grow to 3' (0.9 meters) and weigh in at 8lbs (3.6 kg). This species can be distinguished from other Gars by the dark spots on the top of their heads, pectoral fins and on the pelvic fins as well. This fish has a special swim bladder which enables them to gulp air and live in very poorly oxygenated waters. They can live to about 18 years old although they reach sexual maturity in only 3 to 4 years.

To see the Spotted Gar in action check out this video below...

The Chain Eel or Echidna catenata is also known as the Chainlink Moray Eel or just the Chain Moray Eel. This Eel has a whitish yellow body with black or brown chain markings, hence its name! Like most Eels it spends a lot of its time in a hiding space so if you are planning on keeping this creature as a pet make sure your aquarium has plenty of nooks and crannies to hide in.

This type of Eel requires 2 or 3 live meals (grass shrimp, fiddler crabs) per week. Water temperature of 72-78° F and a PH Level of 8.1-8.4 is recommended. The Chain Eel can grow to about 2-1/2' in length.

The Nurse Shark or Ginglymostoma cirratum is a nocturnal shark that is often found resting on the bottom during the days. These sharks will rest in groups of up to 45 sharks! Sometimes they will even pile up right on top of each other! Nurse Sharks are most often found in warmer waters in the Western Atlantic and Eastern Pacific Oceans.

These sharks can be quite large at up to 14' (4.3 meters) in length and weigh in at 330 lbs (150 kg). They are rarely dangerous to humans, most cased of Nurse Shark attacks occur when divers accidently step on or provoke these creatures. They have an unusual mouth with very strong jaws that are filled with thousands of tiny, sharp serrated teeth.

These sharks normally feed on shellfish, coral, fish, shrimp and squid. The Nurse Shark is grayish brown in color and have tail fins that can reach 1/4 of their total length. Nurse sharks are ovoviviparous, which means that the eggs develop and hatch withing the body of the female Nurse Shark. They typically have a litter of 21-28 little ones each mating season. One thing that makes the Nurse Shark different from most others is that they are smooth to the touch, although I can say I recommend getting that close!

The Horseface Blenny or Ophioblennius atlanticus is one strange looking salt water fish. Also known as the Red Lip Blenny this fish's head has four small horns that protrude outwards. This along with a weird blunt nose gives it the appearance of a horse! These fish are normally black and red with a bit of yellow that helps them blend into their surroundings.

The Horseface Blenny is a quite popular aquarium fish that should be kept at temperatures of 72-78° F, with a PH level of 8.1-8.4. They have an amazing jumping ability which in the wild they use to jump from water pool to water pool. In an aquarium setting though you have to be very careful to keep a tight lid on your aquarium.

These fish grow to about 5" in maximum length and are herbivore that works well in an aquarium that has large amounts of natural algae for the fish to feed on. You can also feed them spirulina and other vegetables. This fish is a natural tank cleaner that is a great fit for most aquariums.