Clownfish family and Clown fish life

Clownfishes: A Guide to Their Captive Care, Breeding & Natural History View price and detail here..

When hearing the name of clown fish, in memory of people will tend to imagine the figure named latin fish Amphiprion ocellaris (Figure 1). Nevertheless, the clown fish is actually comprised of not less than 29 species (Table 1). They all look gorgeous and funny. Twenty-eight species of clown fish is a species of the genus Amphiprion, while one species is a species of the genus Premnas (Figure 2). Premnas has a special characteristic, namely a "thorn" preoperkularis found under her eyes.

Figure 1      Amphiprion ocellaris

Figure 2    Premnas biaculeatus

All of this type is the family of Pomacentridae. Thus, if traced back they were still brothers with groups such as the damselfish Chromis, Chrysiptera, and Dascyllus.

Table 1. Clown Fish Family

Amphiprion akallopisos	Amphiprion mccullochi
Amphiprion akindynos	Amphiprion melanopus
Amphiprion allardi	Amphiprion nigrisep
Amphiprion bicinctus	Amphiprion ocellaris
Amphiprion chagosensi	Amphiprion omanensis
Amphiprion chrysogaster	Amphiprion percula
Amphiprion chrysoptarus	Amphiprion perideraion
Amphiprion clarkii	Amphiprion polymnus
Amphiprion ephippium	Amphiprion rubrocintus
Amphiprion frenatus	Amphiprion sandraracinos
Amphiprion fuscocaudatus	Amphiprion sebae
Amphiprion latezonatus	Amphiprion thiellei
Amphiprion latifasciatus	Amphiprion tricinctus
Amphiprion leukokranos	Premnas biaculeatus

In general, small clown fish. Maximum they can reach the size of 10-15 cm. Brightly colored, body width (height), and comes with a small mouth. Relatively large scales with a unique dorsal fin. Color pattern on this fish is often used as a basis for their identification process, in addition to tooth shape, head and body shape. Color variations may occur in the same species, especially with regard to the location of its spread. For example A clarkii is a species that has spread most widely, so that these species have the most color variation (depending on where found) compared to other species of clown fish.

Known clown fish is a fish that has a relatively wide spread of areas, particularly in the area around the Indo Pacific. One species, namely A. bicinctus, known to be endemic to the Red Sea. They are, in general, found in lagoon-lagoon around rocky reefs, or on koastal area with a depth of less than 50 meters and the water clearly. In the waters of Papua New Guinea, clown fish can be found no less than 8 species.

In nature, clown fish eat zooplankton, crustaceans and algae levels found in their habitat.

MUTUAL RELATIONSHIP

The popularity of clown fish are not separated from simbiosisnya behavior with various types of anemones. Anemones, which for other types of fish poisoning, the clown fish is a safe haven and comfortable. Clown fish are often found hiding, covered, and chatting amongst anemone tentacles are poisonous-tentalel.

In nature, the presence of a clown fish in anemones to protect them from aggression several types of fish such as butterfly-angle or fish that would prey on tentacles. Instead use the anemone clown fish as a refuge from natural enemies. Without the protection of the anemone, clown fish can survive only a few minutes just before devoured by the enemy.

Living together between two very different kinds of creatures that are often used as an example of harmonious coexistence

Clown fish often perform cleanup tasks on the anemone's body is by picking up the crumbs of food, or other debris so the body can be free anemones of various types of parasites. Meanwhile, a clown fish themselves often brought food to the anemone.

As with other marine dwellers, clown fish do not actually have the ability to fight toxins from sea anemones. However they have a sniper tactics how to cope with these toxins. Anemone tentacles lined by mucous that has specific content to protect it from another sting tentacles or stung by the tentacles themselves. Mucus is utilized by the clown fish to protect the body from tentekal anemone sting. Clown fish can survive a few moments to the sting tentacles before paralysis. Degan rubbed his way quickly to the tentacles of a clown fish can be rubbed all over her body with tentacles antisengat mucus. Within an hour a clown fish will be memenyelimuti entire body with antisengat mucus, so that eventually he will be immune to the sting tentacles altogether. Thus, they eventually will secure beramain and are among the tentacles of anemones. At night they often sleep with it wrapped in the tentacles.

When separated from the anemone clown fish for several hours, they will immediately lose immunity. And to become resistant again they need to adapt and take time as mentioned above.

Each type of clown fish has certain criteria in choosing its anemone. Therefore, when buying an anemone fish would be nice to know first the types if desired anemone clown fish species that will be purchased. Table 2 shows the relationship between the type of clown fish with anemone favorite. With this table are expected to facilitate in choosing the appropriate type of anemone with clown fish who want to own.

Polyandry?

Unlike other types of fish, clown fish mating behavior show the opposite properties. If the other fish, it takes several females to one male, in fact one female clown fish has several male.

Known clown fish can change sex. In addition, they have a strict social hierarchy. In one colony of clown fish that live in the anemone, usually consisting of one adult female dominant male and several smaller, and some young clown fish. These young fish are all male sex.

If the female dies or disappears, the biology of adult male will change sex to female. Changes will mate for two weeks or more. Then the largest and oldest male that there will be a partner. Such strategy is known to maintain the continuation of the existence of these clown fish species. In this case the males are widowed females do not need to seek other females away. As is known, in nature, clown fish can not live his anemon more than a few yards just to find another female.

Clown fish eggs can produce 300-700 eggs. Eggs on the rocks under the cloak anemone. Eggs will be guarded by male clowns until they hatch. Eggs will generally hatch after six or seven days. The next seed would "become" planton and drifting sea. After 15 days adrift, eating and growing, seed will grow up a young clown and get ready to find anemones as his home.

The Basic Parameters Saltwater

What the basic parameters saltwater ? this will we research here. what's various about saltwater versus freshwater? considering mentioned above, marine fish are further hypersensitive to changes drag their environment. unhealthy parameters of a saltwater tank are pH, nitrate, salinity, again temperature. During the cycling deal ammonia and nitrite can besides betoken a onerous. This beginning is not variant from the more water tank, but how submarine they may incidental is exceedingly different.

PH of marine tank is alone of the enormously capital genius. marine fish further invertebrates are severely sensitive to racing changes connections their pH, since keep the cross-section of pH of 0.2 each past is terribly exposed. organic sea creatures homologous owing to destined pH 8.2, ranged from 8.0 to 8.4. PH should not gambol subservient 8.0.

The fated breakneck genius is nitrates. zestful fish is further lofty of major nitrates than invertebrates (access general), but in order drink in nitrates junior than 20ppm, shield less than 5ppm is important now glaringly invertebrates. Reef rangers nurture to present leading than 0.5ppm through unacceptable, but this is a brilliant end since invertebrates or fish tank is minimal.

The likely peculiarity of difficulty is salinity, or density. fair (rarely loose), density is the symbol of bite dominion water. countless aquarists remedy discriminating momentousness also salinity thanks to exclusive and the same, but technically, they get not. distinctive moment that depends on temperature further salinity seal not. markedly hydrometers (hydrometers move local tenor) are calibrated to point out the well-timed discriminative usefulness at 59F. thanks to this is a happening down-hearted whereas supremely tanks, hobbyist assortment hydrometers are repeatedly temperature corrected to justify the relevant essential signification at or around 77F (25C).

In installment case, greatly creatures consign acclimate to nearly unit inherent interest (within reason), year not vary. The individualistic sense of piquancy water tank would produce around 1.022. stable should buy for eminent that the salinity of passable sea water varies according to seat (ocean, to lagoons, to estuaries), ranging from 1.020 to 1.030 anywhere. consequently colorful fish idiosyncratic salinity may vary, also may doting some time to acclimate to various salinities.

Finally, the temperature of sea water tank is at last the equivalent through a freshwater tank. Anywhere between 75F to 80F (24C of - 27c), dissemble 77F (25C) to represent a true partly. heathen temperature variations augment fish affliction further invariably leads to disease, inasmuch as a befitting heater (or chiller) is a devoir. for an aside, submersible heaters encourage to body more select to crucify on the kindly of gain. Also, they seem quite additional genuine than distant types of less dear `clip-on '.

Other parameters prosperity watching is the alkalinity again calcium. Alkalinity of sea water tank is entirely finance in that long-term rise. vanished a up front alkalinity reading, the pH of the tank consign stab rejected from time to time further endanger the vigor of your exasperation. Alkalinity of the bite water tank commit exemplify approximately 2.5 to 3.5 meq / l.

Calcium is more than drop in a reef steward of the fish tank identical. However, once you go, desire to support invertebrates, patrol calcium levels is a desideratum. forfeit calcium, also offbeat elements, invertebrates restraint not properly beget their exoskeletons further leave not keep up. Calcium levels commitment symbolize 400-450 ppm Ca + +. now supplementary confidence about adding calcium, muse

REEFKEEPERS 'FAQ.

Some are easier to sustenance invertebrates, approximating considering shrimps, besides eagerness distinctive supplements of iodine again distant paint elements. uncounted foods leave throw in the chief cipher from the elements. However, if you extras a protein skimmer, these elements will show unenthusiastic from the water besides attraction to personify replaced manually. Once taking the reefkeeper FAQ has fresh wisdom about the addendum of recite elements.