Glossary

125 terms beginning with A · showing 1–40

1. abdomen

   The lower part of the body that lies in front of the cloaca and contains the digestive and reproductive organs; also referred to as the belly.

   Used in 60 profiles

2. aberrant

   Departing from an accepted standard.

   Used in 1 profile

3. abiotic

   Non-living. Abiotic factors in an environment include such items as sunlight, temperature, wind patterns, and precipitation, for example.

4. acclimation

   Adaptation to a new climate or environment. Used in reference to the process of slowly introducing an animal to a new environment, e.g., when adding new fish or invertebrates to an aquarium. Same meaning as acclimatisation.

   Used in 35 profiles

5. acclimatisation

   See acclimation.

6. acid

   A substance that can donate protons or accept pairs of electrons. The chemical opposite of a base. Acids have a pH of less than 7.

   Used in 123 profiles

7. acidic

   Acid; tending to form an acid; having a pH less than 7.0; having a relatively high concentration of hydrogen ions.

   Used in 435 profiles

8. acidophile

   An organism which naturally dwells in an acidic environment.

   Used in 1 profile

9. acidophilic

   Thriving in an acidic environment.

10. acriflavine

    An antiseptic used to treat external fungal plus general bacterial and protozoan infections in ornamental fishes and disinfect fish eggs in aquaculture. Also known as Acriflavinium chloride, ie., the chemical compound from which it is formed.

11. Actinopterygii

    Class of ray-finned fishes, so-called because they possess fin rays. Contains 95%+ of known fish species.

    Used in 1 profile

12. activated carbon

    Processed, porous, highly adsorptive form of carbon also known as activated charcoal or active carbon. Used in aquaria to remove toxins such as chlorine, chloramine, some heavy metals, and especially organic molecules, but exerts no action on ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, phosphate or inorganic salts. Since it has a finite surface area it requires periodic replacement if employed long-term, and should be removed if a tank is being treated as it will remove most medications. Cannot be 'recharged' by heating in a microwave or domestic oven.

13. acuminate

    Tapering or pointed. Used to describe the shape of the caudal fin in some fishes.

    Used in 59 profiles

14. adaptive radiation

    Speciation of a taxonomic group into several forms, each specialised to fill a previously vacant ecological niche, as exemplified by Rift Lake cichlids, for example.

    Used in 60 profiles

15. adductor

    A muscle whose contraction moves a limb or other part of the body towards the midline of the body or other part.

    Used in 7 profiles

16. adipose

    Of, relating to or composed of animal fat.

    Used in 54 profiles

17. adipose crest

    Fatty ridge of flesh extending along the dorsal or ventral surface of the caudal peduncle in certain fishes, e.g., some Schistura spp.

    Used in 7 profiles

18. adipose eyelid

    Transparent eyelid present in some fishes, that covers some or all of the eye.

19. adipose tissue

    Type of connective tissue composed of cells specialised for production and storage of fat globules. The principle means of fat storage in the animal body.

    Used in 5 profiles

20. adipose-fin

    A small, fleshy, rayless fin present in certain fishes and located behind the dorsal fin.

    Used in 100 profiles

21. adsorption

    The process by which molecules of a substance are attracted to and accumulate on the surface of another substance, such as a solid, but do not enter it. Activated carbon is highly adsorptive.

22. adventitius roots

    Roots formed from shoot tissues arising from any part of a plant except another (parent) root, e.g., from stems or leaves.

23. aerate

    To supply with additional air or expose to air circulation.

24. aeration

    The process of supplying with additional air or exposing to air circulation.

    Used in 8 profiles

25. aerobic

    Living or occurring only in the presence of oxygen.

26. Aeromonas

    A genus of rod-shaped, gram-negative bacteria found in fresh and salt water, soil, and sewage. Various species affect fishes while others are pathogenic to amphibians, reptiles, and higher animals including humans.

27. aestivate

    To pass a hot period of the year in a dormant condition, as seen in African lungfishes for example.

    Used in 2 profiles

28. aff.

    Abbreviation of the word 'affinis', meaning related but not identical to. Used in the fields of systematics and taxonomy when referring to undescribed specimens or populations that resemble, but are clearly different to, a described species.

29. affinis

    See aff..

    Used in 20 profiles

30. affluent

    A tributary stream or river.

    Used in 58 profiles

31. African Great Lakes

    Series of water bodies mostly located in the East African rift including some of the oldest and deepest in the world, specifically lakes Victoria, Tanganyika, Malawi, Turkana, Albert, Kivu and Edward.

32. agonistic behaviour

    Social interactions related to fighting. A broader term than 'aggressive behaviour' as it also includes threats, displays, retreats, placation, and conciliation.

33. air pump

    Device used to pump air into an aquarium for aeration or driving of air-powered filters.

34. air stone

    Processed piece of porous stone, glass, limewood, ceramic or synthetic material that is attached to the end of a length of airline and used to diffuse air into an aquarium in order to increase aeration. Available in a large range of shapes and sizes.

    Used in 87 profiles

35. airline

    Plastic or silicon tubing used to connect an air pump to a filter, air stone, etc..

    Used in 7 profiles

36. airline clamp

    Small, plastic, adjustable clamp used to regulate the flow of air within a length of airline.

37. albino

    A person or animal lacking or deficient in normal pigmentation due to an absence of melanin. Albino animals typically possess red eyes, unlike leucistic forms which typically have normally-coloured eyes.

    Used in 50 profiles

38. algae

    A large and diverse group of simple, typically autotrophic organisms, ranging from unicellular to multicellular forms and including seaweeds, diatoms, and Spirogyra. They're photosynthetic, like plants, and the majority are aquatic.

    Used in 408 profiles

39. algae crab

    Loose term used to describe any type of crab useful in an aquarium because it eats algae and/or diatoms. In marine aquaria this would include Sally Lightfoot, Emerald and various species of hermit crab. In freshwater the micro-crab Limnopilos naiyanetri fills the same role.

40. algae shrimp

    Somewhat misleading vernacular name for the freshwater shrimp Caridina multidentata Stimpson 1860, a popular addition to freshwater aquaria due to its reputation for consuming algae, though in reality it is unable to survive on a diet of algae alone. Formerly referred to as C. japonica De Man 1892 (that name is now regarded as a junior synonym of C. multidentata) and also known as the Amano shrimp. Exhibits an amphidromous life cycle in nature and is thus difficult to breed in captivity, though it has been achieved.