Results for “ich”

asexual reproduction

Mode of reproduction which does not involve fertilisation whereby offspring derive from a single parent and inherit genes only from that parent. Known in the Amazon Molly, Poecilia formosa, and some other fish species.

basal

At, towards or constituting a base; primitive. Opposite of derived. In cladistics, used to in reference to a clade within which other clades are nested.

Used in 92 profiles

basicity

Being a base, or the extent to which a substance is basic.

batch spawner

A fish species which deposite eggs on more than a single occasion throughout a particular spawning season rather than within a short period.

baudelot's ligament

Ligament, sometimes ossified, which joins the 1st centrum with the supracleithrum. Helps anchor the pectoral girdles to the sides of the fish.

Used in 2 profiles

binomial name

The two part name of a species used in zoological nomenclature comprising generic (for the genus) and specific (for the species) names which form the full scientific name when combined, e.g. Carassius auratus.

bivalve

A mollusc belonging to the class Bivalvia which includes clams, oysters, mussels, scallops, etc.. Members are characterised by possessing a shell comprising two hinged valves.

Used in 6 profiles

bloodworm

The freshwater larvae of certain midges which appear bright red due to their high haemoglobin content. Some species of the non-biting Chironomidae family are produced commerically for fish food with the larvae frozen or freeze-dried.

Used in 1,068 profiles

branched rays

A soft or segmented fin ray which is distally forked/divided into two.

Used in 51 profiles

broadcast spawner

A fish which releases its gametes into open water for external fertilisation, with no subsequent parental care. The strategy is more commonly-seen in marine than freshwater species.

brown algae

Vernacular term commonly used in zoology when referring to the largely marine class Phaeophyceae which includes many seaweeds, and in the aquarium hobby to describe growths of brown, diatomic algae.

Used in 1 profile

carbonate hardness

Measure of the alkalinity of water as dictated by the presence of bicarbonate and carbonate ions. Usually expressed as parts per million, milligrams per litre, or degrees (dKH) of which 1 dKH corresponds to 17.848 ppm. Sometimes used a synonym for, but not equivalent to, temporary hardness.

Used in 65 profiles

cavity brooder

Reproductive strategy characteristic of certain fishes, e.g., many cichlids, in which eggs in a cavity, cave or similar. The clutch is normally guarded aggressively by one or both parents. Such species may also be referred to as 'cave brooders/breeders'.

cephalopod

Any marine mollusc of the class Cephalopoda which includes octopus, squid, cuttlefish, and nautilus. Characterised by possession of a large head and eyes, prehensile tentacles, and, in most species, a specialised sac containing a dark, inky fluid used in defensive behaviour.

chemical filtration

Water filtration method by which dissolved chemicals are removed via use of synthetic adsorbents, ion exchangers, insoluble oxides, zeolite, or activated carbon, these usually being placed within the filter unit or sump.

chitin

Nitrogen-containing polysaccharide which forms the principal constituent of arthropod exoskeletons and the cell walls in some fungi.

chloramine

Any of various compounds containing nitrogen and chlorine, some of which are used as bactericides. Chloramines are often used to purify drinking water because they're more stable than chlorine and produce fewer harmful by-products, but they're considered harmful to fishes.

chloroplast

A chlorophyll-containing plastid found in the cells of green plants and some algae within which photosynthesis occurs.

cladistics

Taxonomical method used to classify species of organisms into clades, each of which contains an ancestor organism and all its descendants, based on synapomorphies (shared derived characters). Cladistic classifications are usually presented in the form of a cladogram.