Members of this family are deep-bodied and laterally compressed fishes. They are found mainly in the Indo-Pacific oceans, but one or two species occur in the Atlantic. They inhabit coral reefs, constantly pecking or scraping food from the surface and crevices of the coral heads. Their brilliant colours and startling patterns may be either a type of camouflage in the brightly lit world of the coral reef, or an aid in recognizing or communicating with fishes of the same species. The Angelfishes are distinguished from the Butterflyfishes by a spine at the bottom rear corner of the gill cover; many young Angelfishes have colours and markings that differ from those of the adult form. Angelfishes are territorial, and fishes of the same spebies will fight. (more…)
These brightly coloured, oval- bodied fishes have sharp, bony scalpels on the caudal peduncle which can cause painful wounds. Some species have fixed scalpels, others a protruding horn above the eyes.
Powder-blue Surgeon Acanthurus leucosternon 300 mm 12 in. Indo- Pacific oceans. The delicate blue of the body contrasts with the black face and yellow dorsal fin. The retracted scalpel on each side of the yellow caudal peduncle can be clearly seen. (more…)
Its hearing is the first sense that alerts the cat to potential prey when it is out hunting and, due to its genetic inheritance, the sounds that are most likely to signal the proximity of rodents, its favourite meal, are the ones to which it is the most attuned. And because rodents utter high- pitched squeaks, the upper frequencies of the sound range are those that the cat’s ears are especially adept at detecting, exceeding both dogs and humans in their sensitivity. Indeed, when you think that our detection of acoustic vibrations rises to around 20,000 hertz, and a cat’s to 50,000, we must be deaf to a cacophony of interesting sounds. (more…)
Neon Goby
Gobiosoma oceanops 60 mm 22 in. Caribbean, Like their freshwater relations, the saltwater Gobies (Family Gobiidae) spend most of their time scurrying around the aquarium floor. The Neon Goby is similar in body shape and markings to the Cleaner Wrasse, and it performs a limited cleaning service for other fishes in the aquarium. Breeding: has been spawned in the aquarium. Adults guard the eggs and young. (more…)