MARINE ORNAMENTAL FISHES

Ornamental sponges Red sponge, Amphimedeonneptune's cup sponge Clathria Bowl sponge

IMPORTANT FAMILIES  Acanthuridae :12 species  Balistidae : 8  Scaridae : 9  Labridae : 6  Syngnathidae : 6  Chaetodontidae : 15  Haemulidae : 3  Pomacanthidae : 3

IMPORTANT FAMILIES contd..  Triacanthidae : 3 species  Monacanthidae : 2  Scorpaenidae : 2  Theraponidae: 2  Diodontidae : 1  Caesionidae: 1  Dasyatidae : 1  Grammastidae : 1 (Pogonoperca punctata)  Malacanthidae : 1  Zanculidae: 1

Families contd …  Ostracidae (Tetrasomus, Lactaria)  Tetradontidae Food fishes / not considered as ornamentals  Lutjanidae  Serranidae (Epinephelus group)  Siganidae  Nemipteridae  Mullidae

Syngnathidae  Pipe fishes and seahorses  Small in size  Pipe fishes: long and slender with bony exterior  Seahorses: Horse like;brood pouch in male  Pectoral, anal and caudal fins absent  Feed - zooplankton, copepods, isopods and amphipods  Seahorse four species(Lipton, 1996)  Hippocampus kuda, H. fuscus, H. trimaculatus, (H. histrix), H. spinifera  Schedule 1 of Wild Life Protection Act

Hippocampus kuda

Scorpion fishes  Mostly venomous  Most popular aquariculture sp  About 30cm  Color red, brown or gray  Feed - crabs and small fishes  Nocturnal  Pterois volitans

Pterois volitans-red lion fish

Pseudochromidae  Small  Lives under boulders  Pseudochromis and Acanthochromis

Chaetodontidae  World wide 113 sp  Feed - coral, algae, small benthic invertebrates  Monogamy  Chaetodon, Heniochus  Small buoyant eggs  Hatching hrs

Chaetodon collare

Pomacanthidae  Angel fishes  Stout backward projecting spine on the lower edge of operculum  Centropage- small in size - <8cm-  Feed algae  Form harems of single dominant male and several females  Pomacanthus relatively larger cm  Feed-sponge supplemented with algae, tunicates  Monogamous  P. annularis, P. imperator

Pomacanthus annularis

Pomacanthus semicirculatus

Pomacanthus

Pomacentridae  Damsel fishes- anemone fishes  The tentacles touch, poison, and kill fish except for the clown fish.  Protects the clown fish from predators.  Chromis - Guards a small plot of turf for feeding  Abudefduf  Amphiprion: eggs deposited on firm substrate  Parental care-guards the egg  Egg predation-wrasses and butterfly fishes

Amphiprion clarkii

Amphiprion sebae

Chromis sp

Abudefduf sexfasciatus

Clown fish in anemones

Labridae  Wrasses  Iniistius [ Xyrichthys], Thalassoma, Coris  Eats eggs of damsel fish  Omnivorous  Feed-crabs, shrimps, Polychaetes, Zooplankton  Harem found in Labroides - single dominant male followed by several females

Iniistius pavo

Coris formosa

Scaridae  Parrot fishes  Fussed jaw teeth  Feed - coral polyps  Scarus gibbus

Chlorurus gibbus (Scarus gibbus)

Gobiidae  World species exceed 1600  Wide distribution- fw, estuarine, coral reefs  Cryptocentrus obliquus-pink spot shrimp goby  Omnivorous  Easy to maintain  Makes protective burrows  Lays eggs in clusters-guard by parents  Successfully bred

Cryptocentrus leptocephalus (C.obliquus)

Acanthuridae  Surgeon fish  Acanthurus, Naso, Zebrasoma  Bony, knife like structure in the middle of the tail.  Naso- two spines

Acanthurus leucosternon

Naso brevirostris

Zebrasoma veliferum

Balistidae  Triggerfish  Odonus niger - highly abundant  Feeds- sea urchin, starfish,crabs and shrimps  Size>30cm

Odonus niger

Balistoides viridescens

Rare Species  Zanculus cornutus  Bolbometopon muricatum  Pogonoperca punctata  Low population,-  Low fecundity  Coral destruction  High natural mortality  Predation

Zanculus cornutus

Porcuppine fish

Box fishes Ostracion

BREEDING METHODS  Egg depositors : Clown fishes  Mouth Brooder: Apogonids  Pouch breeders: Sea horses  Egg scatterers  Problem in Breeding  Breeding Successful - Sea horses, Anemone fishes, Chaetodon, Pseudochromis, Gobiosoma sp

FISHERY  Least exploited  Gears Lift net Seine net Scoop net Traps Hand picking – skin divers Stupefying methods / icthyocides - cyanide, clove oil  Crevice dwellers and Caverns- no specific fishing method

CHOOSING A RIGHT FISH FOR AQUARIUM  Avoidance of sensitive sp  Stocking compatible sp  Less fish stock-easily feeding – Anemone fishes, Gobids  Communal living (different type feeders)  Stocking cheap varieties  Segregating big predators (Grouper)