Fish Index: January 2009

Spiny Dogfish (Squalus acanthias)

The Spiny Dogfish or Squalus acanthias is actually a shark, in fact its one of the most common sharks in the world. This fish has many different names including the Spurdog, Piked Dogfish, Skittledog, Spotted Dogfish, White-Spotted Dogfish, Codshark, and Thorndog.

The Spiny Dogfish has spines on its body that is uses for defense. Be careful if you are near one of this sharks as these spines are poisonous. They will curl up their backs to strike the would be predators. These sharks have flat grinding teeth in the front along with sharper teeth towards the back of their mouths.

Spiny Dogfish are often found in schools, that sometimes can even number in the thousands! They are normally only about 3' long and weigh around 10lbs. The Spiny Dogfish can live to about 30 years in age maximum.

They look very similar to other Dogfish, but you can tell them apart by the row of white dots that run along its sides. They also have the sharp spine that we talked about early. These spines are found in the front of its dorsal fins. When they are first born the Spiny Dogfish has a sack that is attached to its body. Over time this will simply fall off. To check out a baby Spiny Dogfish in action watch the video below...

Spiny Dogfish are often used for food in several different places around the world. If you have any recipes, tips, or other facts about the Spiny Dogfish that you would like to share please leave them below in the comments.

Tiger Barb (Puntius tetrazona)

The Tiger Barb or Puntius tetrazona can be an aggressive fish when kept in an aquarium with slower moving fish. I guess it could be considered the personal trainer fish, as it keeps other fish active and is even known to nip the fins of slow movers. They dart around the tank with plenty of energy and enjoy being in schools of 6 or more which makes them much less aggressive.

Also known as the Sumatra Barb, Tiger Barbs are just one of the over 70 different species of Barbs. They are silver or gold in color with black vertical stripes like that of the Perch. When kept in an aquarium setting a tank of at least 40 gallons in recommended. This freshwater fish should be kept at temperatures of 74-79° F with a PH level of 6.0-7.0. Tiger Barbs can grow to about 7cm in length and can live about 6 years.

The Tiger Barbs are considered to be quite easy to reproduce. When spawning the Tiger Barb will pair off and the female will lay the egg and wait for the male to fertilize them. The baby Tiger Barbs should hatch in about 5 days and then should be fed brine shrimp until they reach a size where they can switch over to flake foods. Adult Tiger Barbs should be fed a variety of vegetables, meaty food and flake foods. Ideal tank mates include Catfish and Clown Loach. To see the Tiger Barb is action check out this video below...

The Megalodon or Carcharodon megalodon was a prehistoric shark that could grow to over 50' in length! Some people still think that these massive sharks are still roaming our oceans somewhere, but the facts of the matter suggest that they actually became extinct around 1.5 million years ago. Its massive size makes it the largest known carnivorous fish in the world!

Also known as the Mega Tooth Shark or Giant White Shark, the Megalodon was though to feed on large marine animals of its time. Scientist even think that they fed on giant whales, dolphins and anything else they can sink their teeth into. Megalodon were ambush predator that would normally wound its prey with a devastating first strike and then circle it until it weakens enough to devour. As you can imagine from its amazing size, it had a ferocious appetite.

Like all other sharks the skeleton of the Megalodon is made of cartilage instead of bone which makes it even harder to find the remains of this ancient creature. This shark's unbelievably large serrated teeth measure more than 18cm! They are similar to those of the Great White Shark, but absolutely dwarf them in size.

To learn more about the Megalodon watch this re-enactment video below...

Blackheaded Filefish (Pervagor melanocephalus)

The Blackheaded Filefish or Pervagor melanocephalus is found in the wild in places like Fiji and Hawaii. Over the years they have become a quite popular aquarium fish due to its striking appearance and the strange file like appendage that comes straight out of its head! They have bright orangish red colors with their heads black or gray, hence the name. Also known as the Colored Filefish or Redtail Filefish, this is just one of the over 100 different species of Filefish!

This fish is considered to be rather shy towards most other fish. The only time it can be aggressive is when it is kept with those in its same genus. They can grow to about 4" in maximum length so an aquarium of at least 40 gallons is recommended. This salt water fish should be kept at temperatures of 72-78° F, sg 1.020-1.025, and a PH level of 8.1-8.4.

When you first purchase the Blackheaded Filefish it can be difficult to make him feed right away. A tip to consider is to embed shrimp into the coral in your tank. This way the Filefish can feed right off the coral. After they become acclimated with the tank they will eat squid, scallop, mysis shrimp, freeze-dried krill, and frozen marine algae. They are quite demanding and should be fed at least three times a day.

Frogfish (The Strangest Fish In The Ocean)

Taking a look at a Frogfish is like seeing evolution with your own eyes! These saltwater fish have developed leg-like fins that they use to scurry across the bottom of the ocean floor. They can also change their colors to blend into coral reefs where they wait for prey to scurry by. If that wasn't strange enough, Frogfish have a worm like lure that comes right out of their heads to attract their dinner (see video below). Frogfish, true to their name can grow wart like appendages that only add to their unbelievable camouflage.

Watch the video below as the mommy and the baby Hairy Frogfish walk across the bottom. Can you believe the lure that comes out of their heads!! Unbelievable looks just like a worm!

The Frogfish pictured above are Long-lure Frogfish (Antennarius multiocellatus), but there are actually over 45 different species of Frogfish including the popular aquarium Clown Frogfish! Most are found on the bottom near coral reefs no deeper than 125 meters on average. Check out this next species of Frogfish, it has a bizarre lure as well...

Finally here is the Giant Frogfish (Antennarius commerson), you can see they are masters of camouflage...

If you have more information you would like to share about the Frogfish just leave a comment...

Lemon shark (Negaprion brevirostris)

The Lemon shark or Negaprion brevirostris is a yellowish gray shark that is often found in the coastal waters of the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans around North and South America and Africa. This shark grows to about a maximum length of about 11' and can weigh over 200 pounds! The Lemon Shark is distinguishable by its snout, which is blunt and shorter than the width of its mouth.

These sharks have the ability to tolerate freshwater much like the Bull Shark, but lucky for us it doesn't normally make its way too far up rivers. The Lemon Shark feeds on crabs, shrimp, small fish and even smaller sharks. They have very poor eyesight, but make up for this with what is called the Ampullae of Lorenzini. These receptors can detect small electrical pulses that are giving off by their prey.

Although they are often caught by commercial shark fisherman, these sharks only make up a very small part of the overall shark market. This shark is quite popular among scientists though as they can survive in captivity for quite a long time.

The Lemon sharks, like many other sharks is viviparous. This means that the females carry around their babies until live birth. They will give birth to about 10 sharks every other year. To check out the Lemon Shark giving birth watch the video below...

The Lemon Shark is not considered to be one of the most dangerous sharks, but there have been a few incidents of these sharks attacking humans. There haven't been any reported deaths though from the Lemon Shark. Most of these attacks occurred when a mother is defending her babies.

Elephant Nose Fish (Gnathonemus petersii)

The Elephant Nose Fish or Gnathonemus petersii is a weird looking fish that looks a lot like, you guessed it, an elephant! These fish are black in color and have a long trunk-like nose that they use to locate food. On the top of these "trunks" are their actual mouths!

The Elephant Nose is that much like the Electric Eel, these fish have a small amount of electrical charge. They use this low electrical current to find their their meals on the bottom of the river. Don't worry though, you can still handle them without being shocked.

These weird fish originate from the Niger River in Western Africa. As you can imagine, due to their strange appearance they are often kept as pets in an aquarium. The Elephant Nose has one of the largest brains for its body and is able to recognize its owner over time in some cases.

Not considered to be one of the easiest fish to take care of, this fish requires frequent water changes along with water conditions of 73-80° F with a PH Level of 6.5-7.0. They reach about 9" in maximum length, so make sure you have a large aquarium. Over 50 gallons should do it to keep these fish happy. Be sure to provide plenty of hiding spaces for this shy creature. Once you have had the Elephant Nose for a while though it will become much more of a friendly fish. One thing to note is to be careful of this fish jumping right out of the tank. An aquarium with a tight lid is highly recommended.

For more about the Elephant Nose Fish check out the unique way it uses the "trunk" to try and locate food in this video...

These fish are carnivores that should be fed a variety of meaty foods such as earthworms, blood worms, brine shrimp with a mixture of flake and pellet foods. If you keep multiple Elephant Nose Fish together make sure you have a group of at least six that way the most dominant one won't pick on the smaller fish.

European Anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus)

The European Anchovy or Engraulis encrasicolus is just one of the over 140 different kinds of Anchovies. This particular species of Anchovy is commonly found in the Mediterranean Sea and are often caught in places like Georgia, Greece, Sicily, Turkey, Bulgaria, Russia, Ukraine, Italy, France and Spain.

This fish can be distinguished from other Anchovies by its deeply cleft mouth. They have a pointed snout that extends beyond their lower jaw. They are slender and reach only about 8" in maximum length.

Like most other Anchovies they have a greenish color that reflects with blue reflections when in the water. This is due to a silver longitudinal stripe that runs from the base of their caudal fin.

As you can imagine due to its small size they have numerous predators including Halibut, Sharks, and Salmon.

The European Anchovy is one of the most popular of all the Anchovies to eat. They are enjoyed all over the world! If you have any more information about the European Anchovy that you would like to share please do so in the comments below...

Venustus Cichlid (Nimbochromis venustus)

The Venustus Cichlid or Nimbochromis venustus is a fairly aggressive freshwater cichlid with a blue face and yellow marks on its head and dorsal fin. The female Venustus Cichlid has a bit less coloration then the male and is more silver.

These fish can grow quite large, almost 10" in maximum length so if you are going to house this fish in an aquarium you should have a tank at least 85 gallons. Like most other Cichlids they like lots of hiding spots as well. An aquarium with a sandy aragonite based substrate is recommended as this helps to maintain the high PH and alkalinity that this cichlids require. Water temperatures of 76-82° F and a PH level of 7.8-8.6 is also recommended for these fish.

As you can tell these fish are not the easiest to take care for, they are sensitive to different water conditions so be sure to change the water regularly if you plan on keeping one of these Venustus Cichlid as a pet. Also known as the Giraffe Cichlid this fish can last for over 10 years so make sure you are ready for that kind of commitment as well.

These fish are Mouth Brooders which means that when they spawn the female will keep the eggs inside her mouth until they are hatched. This process normally takes about 3 weeks time. Watch out males of this species can become very aggressive during the spawning season. Make sure to have more females in a tank then males if keeping multiple Venustus Cichlid together.
This fish should be fed a variety of things including bloodworms, small fish, flake and pellet foods and brine shrimp. This fish is an ambush predator, in the wild it will rest itself on the sandy bottom and wait motionless for its prey to swim by. Then with a burst of speed it attacks and makes a meal for itself.
If you have any tips or questions about how to care for your Venustus Cichlid please leave them below in the comments.

Columbian Shark (Arius jordani)

The Columbian Shark or Arius jordani is actually a Catfish, which is very popular fish to house in an aquarium setting. Also know as the Black Fin Shark, Jordan's Catfish and the West American Cat Shark this fish can grow to about 10" in maximum length. Water conditions should be around 74-79° F with a PH level of 7.0-7.5. At least a 70 gallon aquarium is suggested for this very active fish. The Columbian Shark is whitish grey in color and have the classic catfish whiskers that make them so easy to distinguish from other fish. The fins of this fish are black with white on their tips.

The Columbian Shark has the ability to survive in both freshwater and saltwater. This fish should be fed bloodworms, algea food and pellets (especially one's designed for catfish). Be careful of your tank mates as these fish will sometimes feed on smaller fish. You can check out the Columbian Shark for yourself in this video...

The Columbian Shark has an unusual spawning process. The female of this species will lay her eggs and then the male will incubate them by keeping them in his mouth until they hatch! Now that is a dedicated parent!

Lamprey Eel (Petromyzon marinus)

The Sea Lamprey or Petromyzon marinus is a parasitic creature that has an impressive tooth filled mouth that opens attaches the unfortunately host that gets too close. The Sea Lamprey was originally a salt water fish, but over time it colonized in Lake Ontario, Lake Michigan and Lake Huron.

Also known as the Great Sea Lamprey, Lake Lamprey, and the Sea Eel this creature can reach lengths of 20" and weigh up to 13 oz. They are a greyish metallic color with white on their underside.

It is not uncommon to catch fish with one or several of these Lamprey Eels attached to the fish itself. They fasten themselves onto its host and makes a hole with its tongue. They have a special substance in their saliva that serves as a anticoagulant and keeps the wound opens for weeks until the Lamprey Eel lets go or the host dies.

Believe it out not these parasites are considered a delicacy in places like Europe! Here is The States though they are considered a nuisance and poison is used to control their spawning. To learn even more about the Lamprey Eel watch the video below...

Shiner Perch (Cymatogaster aggregata)

The Shiner Perch or Cymatogaster aggregata is a commonly fished for creature that is found on the Pacific Coast of the United States. A member Surfperch family they are greenish black in color with some silver on their sides along with the classic striped perch look. The Shiner Perch is often caught in streams, rivers and lagoons.

When these fish are spawning the males of this species will turn almost a black color. This saltwater fish is can be caught right off piers which is great for easy fishing. They often feed on zooplankston and anything else they can find on the bottom.

If you have any fishing tips about the Shiner Perch please leave them below...