Results for “pre-”

There appears to be some discrepancy between Smith's original description and Kottelat (1990) in that Smith states the fish is a member of a group of species lacking an ocellus at the upper caudal-fin base, whereas Kottelat mentions the presence of 'a black spot at upper extremity of caudal-fin base, surrounded by a whitish area'.

Following Kottelat (1990) the genus Nemacheilus is characterised by a combination of characters as follows: elongate body; complete lateral line; presence of enlarged scales above and below the lateral line in some species; caudal-fin forked to deeply forked with enlarged upp...

This popular species was previously imported and classified as Sciaenochromis ahli, and is still named as such in much of the available literature. Many morphs exist, although males of all these exhibit the characteristic blue colouration, differing only in fin colouration and patterning. These should not be mixed in aquaria as they will hybridise. Extra care must be taken regarding tankmates, too, as male S. fryeri have been known to spawn with females of other genera, particularly Aulonoca...

It is most similar to S. macropterus, but differs in absence (vs. presence) of a black spot on the base of the median caudal-fin rays, a higher number of pectoral-fin rays (I,8,i vs. I,7,i), males with somewhat more slender bodies (25.7- 30.5% in SL [range 26.3-28.8% in type series] vs. 30.4-34.6% in SL), an...

This fish is one of a number of apparently unidentified Scleromystax species known in the aquarium hobby. The genus Scleromystax is included in the family Callichthyidae, of which members are often referred to collectively as 'armoured' or 'mailed' catfishes group due to the presence of bony plates in place of scales on the body.

A number of sources state that S. brandtii can be identified by the relatively anterior position of the anal-fin origin beneath the first few dorsal-fin rays. However, images of specimens collected from the rio São Francisco, where it is the only member of the genus present, suggest that this is not always the case and this is also supported by the figure from Eigenmann (1915). No recent diagnosis of the species is available.

It's been suggested that these two may represent the same species but this appears not to be the case. When describing S. albisuera Freyhof (2003) used a series of specimens collected in 2000 plus some larger, spotted fish which had been collected in 1999 and preserved in New York. Although he noticed differences in dorsal patterning between the two series these weren't considered sufficient to s...

This species is also sold under the vernacular names 'golden Chinese loach' and '12-banded Chinese loach'. Along with S. robusta it's the most commonly-traded member of the genus, and the two are often imported in mixed batches, presumably because they occur and are thus collected together in nature. Like most congeners it has a highly flexible, sinuous body which makes it very interesting to observe. S. pulchra can be differentiated from...

This species is also sold under the vernacular names 'golden Chinese loach' and '12-banded Chinese loach'. Along with S. pulchra it's the most commonly-traded member of the genus, and the two are often imported in mixed batches, presumably because they occur and are thus collected together in nature.

This species is rarely-seen in the trade due to a relative lack of commercial exports from the middle Yangtze basin. It looks very similar to S. pulchra but can be told apart by the fact it lacks irregular, brownish markings and spots on the side of the head (vs. present in S. pulchra), and like most congeners it has a highly flexible, sinuous body which makes it very interesting to observe.

An easily kept cichlid whose character more than compensates for its somewhat drab colouration, S. casuarius is sometimes seen for sale as "Humphead", "Lionhead" or "Buffalohead" cichlid. It is a reophilic fish meaning it inhabits fast waters. Its swimbladder is modified to reduce buoyancy and thus prevent it from being swept away by the strong currents in it's natural habitat. In the aquarium it spends most of it's time resting on the substrate or hiding ...

This species is not traded commercially at present and the specimen pictured above was brought back from northern Papua New Guinea by private collectors in 2008. It's diagnosable from other members in the genus by possession of 10 segmented rays in the second dorsal fin, males with filamentous spines in the firstandusually with 14 rays. Colour patterning in males is also distinctive (see 'Sexual Dimorphism'). The Gobiidae is the most speciose vert...

Described from close to the city of Palembang, therefore presumably the Musi River basin, South Sumatra province, Sumatra, Indonesia, and since recorded from elsewhere on Sumatra plus the Malaysian state of Sarawak and Indonesian province West Kalimantan on Borneo.

S. alberti possesses an incredible set of barbels that are the longest of any Synodontis. It is also very hardy and adaptable and is therefore an ideal beginner's Syno. It has very large eyes exemplifying its nocturnal nature and also prefers cooler conditions to other members of the genus. This fish has a few common names including Bigeye Squeaker and Albert's Synodontis, though it is usually referred to as the High-fin Synodontis....

S. pleurops is a very nocturnal species and unless the light in the aquarium is dim will rarely be seen. It is also very distinctive and is hard to confuse with other species. It has very large eyes and a downturned mouth, denoting its algae grazing habits. It will rarely venture into open water in the aquarium, preferring to hug the surface of pieces of driftwood, rocks and broad plant leaves. The colouration and patterning can vary considerably depending on type locality....

The genus Puntius is currently viewed as something of a catch-all for well over 100 species of small to mid-sized cyprinid. Most experts agree that a full revision is required with the likely outcome that many species will be placed into new or different genera since it is clearly polyphyletic. When describing the grouping in 1822 Hamilton identified the defining characteristics as: presence or absence o...

Puffer fish are so called as they have the ability to inflate their elastic stomachs with water or air. This is usually a response to some kind of threat, although in the aquarium many specimens appear to inflate themselves for no apparent reason. The fish becomes 2 or 3 times it's normal size, which makes the fish both big enough to scare away many potential predators, and difficult to swallow. Many parts of the body of puffers contain the deadly neurotoxin tetrodoxin. This is the same ...

Puffer fish are so called as they have the ability to inflate their elastic stomachs with water or air. This is usually a response to some kind of threat, although in the aquarium many specimens appear to inflate themselves for no apparent reason. The fish becomes 2 or 3 times its normal size, big enough to scare away many potential predators, or difficult to swallow. Puffers also have several other interesting adaptations. They are one of the few fish that can actually blink or close their ...

Puffer fish are so called as they have the ability to inflate their elastic stomachs with water or air. This is usually a response to some kind of threat, although in the aquarium many specimens appear to inflate themselves for no apparent reason. The fish becomes 2 or 3 times it's normal size, which makes the fish both big enough to scare away many potential predators, and difficult to swallow. Many parts of the body of puffers contain the deadly neurotoxin tetrodoxin. This is the same ...

Puffer fish are so called as they have the ability to inflate their elastic stomachs with water or air. This is usually a response to some kind of threat, although in the aquarium many specimens appear to inflate themselves for no apparent reason. The fish becomes 2 or 3 times its normal size, big enough to scare away many potential predators, or difficult to swallow. Puffers also have several other interesting adaptations. They are one of the few fish that can actually blink or close their ...