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The African glass catfish, Pareutropius Debauwi Fish is one of the Schilbeidae family, which consists of catfish. It is native to Africa, where it can be found in the Republic of Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon and Central African Republic. It faces no serious threats to its survival.

Pareutropius debauwi was named and described by George Albert Boulenger in 1900. Their common name is African Striped Glass Catfish, and they belong to the Glass Catfish family (Schilbeidae). This family includes about 9 genera and 46 species.This fish is found in Africa, specifically the Congo River Basin, Lake Tanganyika and Lake Mal. The common names for this fish are African Striped Glass Catfish and Leopardshark.

The smallest fish in the family is called Pareutropius debauwi. It was named after Rene de Bauw, a Belgian author. The word “Pareutropius” means “beside keel” and refers to the compressed body of this species. The genus name Pareutropius is made up of three (ancient) Greek words: Par means beside or near, Eu means well and Tropis means keel; a reference to the compressed body of this species.

The African Glass Catfish has a range that covers four different countries. It occurs in the Congo River basin and many other rivers in this region.

Pareutropius Debauwi Physical Appearance

  • The African Glass Catfish has a silver color with a black stripe down the flank.
  • Pareutropius Debauwi also has a dark line above its anal fin on its stomach as well as 4 beards on its snout.
  • They can reach a total length of 15 centimeters.
  • The difference between the sexes of a species is difficult to see.
  • Adult females are larger and bulkier than the males.
  • The difference is noticeable in a group of adults, but not in a single animal.
  • This can be seen more easily in young specimens than in adulthood.

Pareutropius with its physical Appearance

The African glass catfish has a long anal fin that is deeply forked. Its eyes are large while its mouth is small. The fins are transparent and it reaches about 10.4 cm long. It travels in schools and is found in Africa, Asia, Australia, Central America, Cuba, Europe, New Zealand and North America.

Pareutropius debauwi and Pareutropius buffei are often confused. The key difference between the two is that the buffei has a third black stripe along its side and dots on its caudal fin tips. However, P. debauwi has pointed edges to its caudal fin, while those of The tips of the caudal fin of  P. buffei are rounded.

Pareutropius Debauwi Habitat

Provide this fish with a spacious area that is long and contains densely planted areas, bogwood, rock around the edge, and some open swimming space toward the center. They do not like bright lighting so floating plants are desirable.

Aquarium can be provided for this fish with enough space for swimming and hiding. A long tank is best, as well as dense planting of bogwood and rock around the edges of the tank.

Pareutropius in its habitat

Carnivorous, bottom dwelling fish. The African upside-down catfish is a native of the Congo River Basin in Africa. It enjoys a temperature range of 77 to 86 degrees Fahrenheit and prefers water with good current flow and good amounts of vegetation. This fish may nibble plants if not fed sufficient amounts of food. This fish’s caudal fin is constantly moving, when resting or swimming. This fish may get caught in a net because of spines on the dorsal and pectoral fins.

Pareutropius Debauwi Feeding

Pareutropius debauwi are omnivores. They will eat both meaty foods and plant material, so you should give them a good mix of flakes, granules, frozen food, live daphnia or brine shrimp. Make sure that the diet also contains some vegetable matter.

Pareutropius Debauwi Breeding

The Pareutropius debauwi are egg scatterers who release their eggs between the plants. If you have some mash through which the eggs can fall but that the parents cannot get through, this certainly helps to protect the eggs. The eggs are usually deposited between the leaves by morning.

New breeding of Pareutropius debauwi species

The male immediately fertilizes the eggs. A single spawn can contain up to 100 eggs. The color of the eggs is whitish. The lifespan of Pareutropius is short. With proper care, they can live up to 5-8 years.

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The West African lungfish has the widest distribution of any species in the family, found across large stretches of western and central Africa. It is also found in northern portions of southern Africa, where it inhabits a variety of freshwater habitats including rivers, streams, ponds, swamps and other waterlogged environments.

The African lungfish certainly lives up to its name. These fish have barely changed over the last 400 million years, and are sometimes called “living fossils.” It lives in rivers and other waterways in Africa. The secret to its longevity is its adaptations—it has two lungs like we do, which means it can breathe air if necessary.  this species is able to survive in water or out.

The West African lungfish is found throughout Africa, specifically in the basins of Sahel as well as Guinea and Sierra Leone. This subspecies of the lungfish has two different subspecies; P. a. annectens is found primarily in the basins of Sahel, while the other subspecies, P. a. brieni is known.

A lungfish’s hibernation also includes a behavioral adaptation. A behavioral adaptation is a way an organism acts. Prior to hibernation, lungfish frantically burrow into the muddy ground as a means of protection. Their behavior as they dig allows them to create a safe place where they can survive over the long period of dormancy.

The African lungfish lives in the Mbali River of the Republic of South Africa. It has a five-chambered heart, which is an adaptation to its low-oxygen habitat. It also has three sets of gill arches on each side, instead of two as in most fish.

Lungfish do have gills, but they also have true lungs that enable them to breathe through their mouth. The lungfish must be able to access air in order to breathe, or else it will drown.

African Lungfish Physical Appearance

  • The African lungfish has a prominent snout and small eyes.
  • Its body is long and eel-like. It has two pairs of long, filamentous fins.
  • The pectoral fins have a basal fringe and are long, while its pelvic fins are about twice the head length.
  • In general, three external gills are inserted posterior to to the gill slits and above the pectoral fins.

African lungfish are long, slender fish with eel-like bodies. They have “fins” at their backs that allow them to propel themselves forward, as well as alternating “steps” that enable them to move in a hopping motion.

African lungfish with physical appearance

African lungfish have a long, dark-colored body that’s covered with black or brown spots. They have a lighter colored dorsal side. An African lungfish can reach up to 39 inches in length and weigh 10 pounds or less. They can live for  20years.

African Lungfish Habitat

African lungfish are obligate air breathers, meaning they must always have access to the surface for air. They are freshwater fish that live in riverbeds of Africa. During dry seasons, the water levels can become so low that African lungfish burrow into the sand and can hibernate for up to a year. Most African lungfish only aestivate. African lungfish can aestivate for up to a year.

lungfish dig deep into the mud, forming a safe and comfortable home. When ready to sleep, it wriggles around and creates a tunnel for air. During this state of suspended animation, lungfish take in no food or water and make no urine or waste.

African lungfish in its habitat

lungfish can tolerate water with little oxygen and will burrow themselves into mud for protection or to escape predators. They can do this because they have a unique ability to breathe air, which allows them to survive under low levels of oxygen.

African Lungfish Feeding

African lungfish are a part of the Class Sarcopterygii, the subclass Dipnoi, and order Ceratodontiformes. Lungfish species can range in size from 1 to 3 ft (0.3 M). They hunt for frogs, fish, mollusks, tree roots and seeds. The African lungfish can survive up to 3.5 years without eating.

African Lungfish Breeding

The lungfish is found in Africa and southern Asia. They are freshwater fish that live in burrows in the mud, with only their heads sticking out to breathe. Females lay their eggs in a nest they dig in areas of vegetation near water. Once the eggs hatch after about two weeks, the male guards them for up to two months until they can survive on their own.

lungfish during breeding

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The alewife fish breed, Alosa pseudoharengus, is a species of anadromous fish native to the northern Atlantic coast of North America, living most of its life in the sea but swimming upriver to spawn. Alewives are a type of herring and belong to the family Clupeidae.

The species was first reported from Lake Erie in 1931, Lake Huron in 1933, Lake Michigan in 1949, and Lake Superior in 1954. The spread of Alewives in the upper Great Lakes is thought to be enabled by warmer weather in the 1950’s

In some populations of alewife, the fish live entirely in fresh water. The alewife is most famous for its invasion of the Great Lakes by using the Welland Canal to bypass Niagara Falls. In the lakes, their population surged, peaking between the 1950s and 1980s to detriment of many native species of fish. To control them biologically, Pacific salmon were introduced.

In the Great Lakes, alewife became abundant mostly in Lake Huron and Lake Michigan. They reached their peak abundance from the 1950s through the 1980s. In order to survive, alewife required a food chain with no top predator. As a result of the lack of predators, they grew in number unchecked.

In the spring, adult alewifes move upstream to spawn. Fisherman catch them using dip nets in shallow areas of the river. They are used as bait for lobster traps during Maine’s spring lobster fishery.

Alewife fish breed

The fish has seen a decline in its population throughout much of its range, due to several threats. One major threat is the construction of dams and other impediments to migration. Dams have prevented alewives from migrating upriver to spawn, so their populations have declined. Other threats include habitat degradation, fishing, and an increase in predation by recovering striped bass populations.

Alewife Fish Physical Appearance

  • The Alewife Fish, Alosa pseudoharengus, is a small herring that is comparable in size to the American shad.
  • Alewives are often mistaken for river herring because they have similar characteristics.
  • The head of an alewife is broader than it is long, and its eyes are large with adipose eyelids (Wormuth & Wisner) fish with a dark upper side, bluish to greenish, and light sides with horizontal darker stripes. A dull black spot is located behind the operculum. Scales are easily rubbed off and form scutes on the mid.

Alewife with good physical appearance

Alewife have inconspicuous jaw teeth and no tongue teeth. The caudal fin is forked, with no adipose fin. They are visually similar to Blueback Herring, but Alewife has a peritoneal lining that is white, larger eyes, and a greater body depth than Blueback Herring. The freshwater gar grows up to 38 cm, but inland populations are usually less than 25 cm.

Alewife Fish Habitat

Alewife Fish are anadromous, living in salt and brackish marine areas as adults and returning to freshwater to spawn. Alewife can spend their entire life in freshwater, prefer marine environments where they can feed on smaller organisms, but they are able to survive in freshwater. They spawn in the spring, and then return to the sea.

Alewife playing in its habitat

Alewife Fish Feeding

The diet of the Alewife Fish is diverse, as it feeds on zooplankton. It also selects for the largest zooplankton in invaded water bodies and subsequently has altered the species composition of zooplankton in the Great Lakes where Alewife are abundant.

Economic Importance of the Alewife Fish

As a result of the alewife’s migration patterns, it was able to thrive in the upper lakes between 1931 and 1954. It faced little competition or predation during this time and became the most abundant species. Alewives are not of commercial value, however; their presence has caused costly sanitary operations when, periodically, millions of them die and wash up on  shorelines. It is a good fish.

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Fish disease symptoms are often apparent. Externally, you may observe symptoms such as strange behavior or cloudy eyes. Another external symptom is a loose-weight fish that does not eat, which may be linked to an internal parasite. If you recognize the symptoms in time, you can treat your fish earlier.

Dealing with fish disease involves knowing how to treat it. First, you need to identify what type of disease it is. You will find parasites, bacterial, fungal, or internal diseases. Each type has its own methods of treatment. The most obvious way to know if your fish has an internal parasite is weight loss. If your fish is eating but skinny, it has an internal parasite. Most internal parasites can be treated with medication

If you notice that your fish are sick or have parasites, it is best to start treatment right away. Many of these illnesses can be easily treated if caught early. The best way to treat any issues with your fish is to prevent them from occurring in the first place. By keeping the water free from dirt, you can prevent many of these fish illnesses.

Fish disease control starts with preventing the disease rather than treating it. Prevention of fish disease is accomplished through good water quality management, nutrition, and sanitation.

In order to understand your fish’s health, you need to observe their behavior and feeding habits. If any issues arise, treatment will be most successful if it is done early in the disease process when the fish are still healthy.

Fish should not be visible in the pond except at feeding time. Fish that are seen hanging listlessly in shallow water, gasping at the surface, or rubbing against objects indicate there may be a problem. Fish that are rubbing against objects are also behaving abnormally, which means they are probably irritated by something in the water.

Types of Fish Diseases

Parasitic Disease

Parasitic diseases in fish are most often caused by protozoa that live in the aquatic environment. This the most common type of fish diseases. There are a variety of protozoans that infest the gills and skin of fish, causing irritation, weight loss, and eventually death. It would be best to clean the whole tank as well as remove any eggs, larvae, or parasites from it.

Bacterial Disease

Fish have many diseases that are caused by bacteria. The bacterial disease is typically an inner infection that requires medicated feed containing antibiotics approved for use in fish. When a fish has a bacterial disease, it will have hemorrhagic spots or ulcers along its body wall and around its eyes and mouth. Bacterial diseases can be external, leading to erosion and ulceration.

These types of infections are often caused by poor water quality and a poor diet. Stress in your fish can lead to lower immune systems and allow any bacterial infection to set in. If your fish is suffering from a bacterial infection, you will likely see some common signs. These include swollen abdomen, this red spot on the body, Ulcers on the gills, Enlarged eyes e.t.c

Fungi Disease

Fungi diseases are more common in fish diseases than people realize, but they generally do not cause disease unless the fish is already ill with an external parasite or bacterial infection. Fungi can colonize damaged tissue of the fish if it is injured by handling or infected by any other type of parasite. This more commonly occurs on the exterior of the fish.

A fungal infection can damage organs in the fish’s body. Symptoms of a fungal infection include grey cotton-like growths on the skin, gills, and fins, and around the eyes. These infections are caused by unclean water conditions and dead organic material. The first thing to do to treat a fungal infection is to clean your tank fully.

Fish Diseases

Viral diseases

Another type of fish diseases are the Viral diseases, unlike bacterial diseases, cannot be distinguished from other illnesses without specific laboratory tests. The viruses are difficult to diagnose and there is no special medication to cure viral infections of fish.

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The Blue Shark Fish (Prionace glauca), often known as the big blue shark, is a requiem shark species in the Carcharhinidae family that lives in deep waters in temperate and tropical oceans around the world. The blue shark is distinguished by its rich blue coloration, which contrasts with a clean white belly.

Blue Shark Fish are fascinating open-ocean predators that can be found all over the world, from the tropics to the coldest parts of the ocean. They are actually a pelagic species, spending the majority of their life far from the coast. The common name refers to the shark’s blue skin color, which is uncommon among sharks.

Individual blue sharks are known to be highly migratory, making multiple excursions across entire ocean basins over the course of their lives. Blue sharks are thought to use their huge pectoral fins (horizontal fins that grow out from either side of the body) to ride long currents and conserve energy when migrating, according to experts. These extensive migrations are undertaken by blue sharks in order to reach places with abundant food and possible partners.

Blue shark with the little ones in the water
credit:americanocean.org

Males and females of this species dwell in separate locations for the majority of the year. They only come together for a limited period during the mating season to reproduce via internal fertilization. Males may attack females forcefully during mating, hence females have thick protective skin to protect themselves from male bites.

Distribution and habitat

The Blue Shark Fish has one of the most extensive geographic ranges of any shark and was once one of the most (if not the most) common pelagic sharks on the planet. The blue shark is a popular incidentally caught species in gillnet and longline fisheries targeting other species because of its widespread distribution and dense population structure.

The blue shark is an oceanic and epipelagic shark that can be found in deep temperate and tropical waters up to 350 meters deep (1,150 ft). It may approach the coast in temperate seas, where divers can watch it; nevertheless, it prefers deeper waters in tropical seas. It can be found as far north as Norway and south as Chile. Except for Antarctica, blue sharks can be found off the coasts of every continent.

Its highest concentrations in the Pacific are found between 20° and 50° north latitude, with considerable seasonal variations. It is evenly distributed between 20° N and 20° S in the tropics. It favors water temperatures of 12–20 °C (54–68 °F), but it can be found in water temps of 7–25 °C.

Body Characteristics

  • With a pointed snout, saw-edged teeth, and long, slim pectoral fins, it’s a slim shark.
  • Blue sharks have long pectoral fins and a light body.
  • Blue sharks, like many other sharks, have a counter-shaded body with a deep blue top, lighter sides, and a white underside.
  • Male blue sharks typically reach maturity at 1.82 to 2.82 m (6.0 to 9.3 ft), while female blue sharks reach maturity at 2.2 to 3.3 m (7.2 to 10.8 ft).
blue shark fish been caught by two men in a boat
credit:bbc.com

The blue shark is also ectothermic and has a distinct olfactory sense. Adult females are slightly larger and have thicker skin than males, and the species is sexually dimorphic. At the age of 5 or 6, both sexes reach sexual maturity.

Diets

The blue shark’s food consists primarily of fish such as anchovies, hake, and the eggs of flying fish, squid, and crustaceans, but it also preys on seabirds and has been seen scavenging the remains of dead whales. Sharks have been witnessed and documented herding prey into a dense group from which they may easily feed as a pack. Tuna have been recorded making use of the herding behavior to opportunistically feast on escaping food, which blue sharks may consume.

Different types of sharks in the area, which would ordinarily chase the common prey, had no effect on the observed herding behavior. The blue shark’s ability to swim quickly allows it to readily catch up with prey. It can bite with its triangular teeth.

Spawning

Females reach maturity between the ages of five and six, whereas boys reach maturity between the ages of four and five. Because mature specimens can be accurately sexed based on the presence or absence of bite scarring, courtship is thought to involve biting by the male. Female blue sharks have developed three times the thickness of male skin to adapt to the demanding mating ritual.

Blue shark in the water
credit:americanocean.org

They are viviparous, having a yolk-sac placenta, and have four to one hundred and thirty-five pups every litter. The pregnancy lasts between nine and twelve months. They have a lifespan of up to 20 years.

 

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Blue gouramis are freshwater fish that belong to the Osphronemidae family, which also contains dwarf, gigantic, and other types. The two spots along each side of the gourami’s body in line with the eye, which are regarded as the third spot, give the gourami its name. Blue gouramis can be territorial, but they are generally docile.

Trichogaster trichopterus is blue gourami that can be found in Asia, particularly in Pakistan, India, and Korea. Gouramis are often found in rivers in many parts of the world, and they form a staple of many cultures’ cuisines.

Distribution

This widely distributed species can be found in Southeast Asia in its natural habitat. It can be found in southern China, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar, Malaysia, Sumatra, Java, and Kalimantan, as well as the Mekong River basin. Sulawesi, the Philippines, Taiwan, Papua New Guinea, and the islands of Reunion, Seychelles, Namibia, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and Colombia have all been imported outside of their native range.

Blue gouramis swimming through the water
credit:hometanks.com

The blue gourami is commonly found in shallow lowland marshes, swamps, and peatlands, although it can also be found in streams and canals, as well as flooded woodlands during flood season. During the flood season, they migrate from permanent water sources to flooded places, such as the middle and lower Mekong’s seasonally flooded forests. They return to these permanent water bodies during the dry season. Zooplankton, crustaceans, and insect larvae are all eaten by these fish. The male constructs a bubble nest for the eggs, which he fiercely guards.

Behavior

  • Blue gouramis are labyrinth fish, which means they can take oxygen from the air they breathe.
  • Blue gouramis love a gentler water flow and prefer to swim in the middle or near the top of the tank.
  • They are sluggish swimmers. Gouramis are typically non-aggressive fish, however, males can be violent toward one another.
  • To avoid fighting, it’s preferable not to keep male blue gouramis together.

Habitat

The blue gourami is one of the most resilient members of the gourami family. Their native habitat includes ditches, canals, ponds, marshes, rivers, and lakes, and they prefer heavily vegetated waters of any kind. Blue gouramis can withstand a wide range of temperatures and aren’t fussy about their water. During the breeding season, however, they prefer soft, somewhat acidic water.

Body Characteristics

The species has a long, flattened body with big, rounded fins and a labyrinth organ that allows it to directly breathe air. Females are slightly larger than males, reaching up to five inches in length. The distinctions between males and females are minor. Female blue gouramis, on the other hand, have shorter, rounded dorsal fins.

Blue guoramis looking for diets
credit:azgardens.com

During the breeding season, females may appear rounder or fuller. Blue gouramis come in a variety of colors, from a light blue to a richer, darker blue. Marbled patterns with pieces of black, white, or even gold can be found on blue gourami fish. Each blue gourami is stunning and one-of-a-kind.

When they are under a lot of stress or aren’t kept in good conditions, three spot gourami are known to change color. Two bright black spots appear on either side of a healthy fish’s body, but these disappear with age. The most frequent selectively grown variants in the aquarium trade are opaline, platinum, blue, golden (or gold), and lavender the result of crossing a blue and golden, having a purple coloration.

Spawning

The male builds a bubble nest early in the day, which is the start of the spawning process. The male will try to persuade the female when a suitable nest has been made. The eggs are released immediately after that, and by the time they reach the bubble nest, they have been fertilized. Over the course of many hours, the duo may repeat the act several times.

It’s not uncommon for the number of eggs produced to exceed tens of thousands. Once spawning is accomplished, the female’s role is finished; remove her to avoid a male attack. The male will look after the eggs from now until they hatch.

Blue gouramis around its nest
credit:

Diets

The blue gourami is an omnivore, meaning it eats both algae and meat. These fish get their nutrition from an algae-based flake food, as well as freeze-dried bloodworms, tubifex worms, and brine shrimp. Mosquito larvae and daphnia larvae are both useful live meals. They can live for 5 years.

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The bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus), a popular game fish in the Centrarchidae family of sunfish, is a popular game fish (order Perciformes). It is one of the most well-known sunfishes throughout its native range in the central and southern United States’ freshwater settings. The bluegill is a freshwater fish that is commonly referred to as “bream,” “brim,” “sunny,” “copper nose,” or “perch” in Texas.

Distribution

From coastal Virginia to Florida, west to Texas and northern Mexico, and north to western Minnesota and western New York, the bluegill are found in the wild east of the Rocky Mountains. They have since been introduced to nearly every other country in North America, as well as Europe, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Asia, South America, and Oceania. Bluegills have also been discovered in the Chesapeake Bay, demonstrating that they can withstand salinity of up to 1.8 percent.

Bluegill fish being carry by a man
credit:onthewater.com

Body description

The black patch on each side of the posterior margin of the gills and the base of the dorsal fin distinguishes the bluegill. The sides of its skull and chin are frequently a dark blue color. Because there are neurally controlled chromatophores under the skin, the exact coloration will vary. As part of its threat display, the fish normally shows 5–9 vertical bars on the sides of its body shortly after being caught.

It has a yellowish breast and abdomen, with the breeding male’s breast being a vivid orange color. Their bodies are deep and flattened, which distinguishes them. They feature a terminal mouth, ctenoid scales, and an arched upward anterior lateral line. Bluegills range in size from four to twelve inches in length, with a maximum length of slightly over sixteen inches. Four-pound bluegill was the heaviest bluegill ever caught.

Behavior

  • Bluegills have synchronized fin movements that allow them to travel and change directions at great speeds. To move forward, they employ notched caudal fins, soft dorsal fins, body undulations, and pectoral fins.
  • They can accelerate swiftly because they have a notched caudal fin. The bluegill’s exceptional agility lets it forage and flee predators with ease.
  • Bluegills have a lateral line system and inner ears that operate as vibration and pressure change receptors.
  • Bluegills, on the other hand, rely extensively on sight to feed, especially when foraging.

Habitat

The shallow waters of many lakes and ponds, as well as streams, creeks, and rivers, are home to bluegill. They enjoy the water with a lot of aquatic vegetation and hide within or among fallen logs, water weeds, or any other submerged structure. They are frequently seen around weed beds, where they look for food or spawn.

Bluegill fish in its habitat
credit:gosanangelo.com

Adults migrate to deep, open water in the summer, suspending just beneath the surface to feed on plankton and other aquatic organisms. They appreciate heat but not direct sunshine, thus they prefer deeper water but will linger near the water’s top in the morning to keep warm. Bluegills commonly congregate in groups of 10 to 20 fish.

Diets

Rotifers, copepods, water fleas, and insects make up the diet of young bluegills. Aquatic insect larvae make up the majority of the adult’s food, although it can also contain terrestrial insects, zooplankton, shrimp, crayfish, leeches, other worms, snails, and tiny fish. Bluegill will eat aquatic vegetation and algae if food is rare, and if food is scarce enough, they will eat their own eggs or progeny.

Bluegill can feed on surface bugs since they spend so much time near the water’s top. The majority of bluegills feed during the day, with a feeding peak in the morning and evening (with the major peak occurring in the evening). The best feeding spot is one where there is a balance of food and predators. They can live for 11 years.

Bluegill navigating through the habitat for feeding
credit:

Spawning

The process of fertilization is purely external. In the water, the male’s sperm unites with the female’s eggs. In order to fertilize the eggs, smaller males will hide in adjacent weeds and dart into the nest. They dart away swiftly. The size of the female has a significant impact on the number of eggs produced. A little female can lay as few as 1,000 eggs, whereas a large, robust female can lay as many as 100,000.

Until the larvae are able to hatch and swim away on their own, the male continues to keep an eye on the nest. The bluegill’s spawning career typically begins at one year of age, however, it has been observed to begin as early as four months of age in optimal conditions.

 

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The Bluefish Species, Pomatomus saltatrix, is the only living member of the Pomatomidae family. Except in the northern Pacific Ocean, it is a marine pelagic fish that can be found in temperate and subtropical waters all over the world. In Australia and New Zealand, bluefish are known as tailors, while in South Africa, they are known as elf and shad.

They can be found in pelagic waters off the coasts of the world’s continental shelves. They live along the Atlantic coast of the United States, in Africa, the Mediterranean and Black Seas, Southeast Asia, and Australia. During the summer, they frequently migrate from warm to cooler waters.

A man carrying a bluefish with its hand
credit:qz.com

With the exception of the eastern Pacific, bluefish can be found in temperate and tropical waters all over the world. They’re a popular recreational fish all along the Atlantic coast of the United States, from Florida to Maine. They can grow to be over 30 pounds, congregate in large groups, and feed aggressively.

The popular recreational and food fish bluefish has been heavily overfished. The population has been stabilized by fisheries management. Bluefish stocks in the United States’ middle Atlantic region were substantially overfished in the late 1990s, but careful management recovered the species by 2007.

Distribution and Habitat

They can be found in tropical and subtropical waters all over the world. They can be found in a variety of coastal habitats, including above the continental shelf, near surf beaches, and near rock headlands. They also live in brackish waters and enter estuaries. They leave the coasts on a regular basis and migrate in groups through open waters.

They can be found in pelagic waters off the coasts of eastern America, Africa, the Mediterranean, and Black Seas, Southeast Asia, and Australia. In the winter, bluefish can be found off the coast of Florida. They’ve vanished by April, heading north. They can be found off the coast of Massachusetts by June, and stragglers can be found as far north as Nova Scotia in years of high abundance. They leave the waters north of New York City in October and head south. Movement patterns are roughly parallel along the South African coast and environs.

A bluefish species
credit:tomscatch.com

Body Characteristics

The Bluefish Species has a large, forked tail and a moderately sized body. The spiny first dorsal fin, as well as the pectoral fins, are generally folded back in a groove. The back of a bluefish is bluish-green, with silvery sides and underbelly. A large, forked tail, a spiny first dorsal fin, a pointed snout, and a robust jaw with sharp, compressed teeth are all features of this species.

Bluefish often range in size from seven inches (18 cm) to much larger, ranging up to 40 pounds (18 kg), though fish weighing more than 20 pounds (9 kg) are rare. Adult bluefish measure between 20 and 60 cm in length, with a maximum size of 120 cm and 14 kg reported.

Feeding

Adult bluefish are powerful and aggressive, and they live in swarms. They are quick swimmers that assault schools of forage fish in a feeding frenzy long after they appear to have eaten their fill. They are cannibalistic and capable of devouring their own offspring. In a “bluefish blitz,” bluefish chase bait across the surf zone, striking schools in extremely shallow water and churning the water. Squid, menhaden, and other small forage fish are among their favorite foods.

A bluefish jumping up from water
credit:riverheadlocal.com

Spawning

Females can deposit between 400,000 and 2 million eggs when they reach maturity at two years. They lay their eggs in the open ocean, where the larvae grow into juveniles before migrating to estuaries and near-shore environments. Bluefish can live for up to 14 years and reach weights of over 30 pounds (14 kg).

 

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Blue Catfish Species are huge river fish found in major river systems’ main channels, tributaries, and impoundments. The blue catfish (Ictalurus furcatus) is the largest species of North American catfish. In some locations, like the Chesapeake Bay, the fish is considered an invasive nuisance. Because it can survive brackish water, it can colonize coastal inland waterways.

The Santee Cooper lakes of Lake Marion and Lake Moultrie in South Carolina, the James River in Virginia, Powerton Lake in Pekin, Illinois, and Lake Springfield in Springfield, Illinois, have all been stocked with these huge catfish. In Texas, the blue catfish is the largest freshwater sportfish.

A man carrying a large Blue catfish on a boat
credit:outdoorlife.com

The fish have thrived in Virginia’s rivers, lakes, tributaries, and the Chesapeake Bay due to their ability to endure a broad range of climates and brackish water. Unfortunately, the blue catfish is considered a problematic invasive species in Virginia due to its low death rate, huge body size, a wide range of food species, and success as a predator.

Distribution

The Mississippi River watershed, which includes the Missouri, Ohio, Tennessee, and Arkansas Rivers, the Des Moines River in South Central Iowa, and the Rio Grande, and south along the Gulf Coast to Belize and Guatemala, is home to blue catfish. Blue catfish are indigenous to the Ohio, Missouri, and Mississippi river basins. The range also stretches south across Texas, Mexico, and Guatemala’s northern region. It is not found in Texas’ northwestern regions, including the Panhandle, but is found in bigger rivers throughout the state.

Body Description of Blue Catfish Species

The fish are frequently mistaken for channel catfish; Blue Catfish Species. Blue catfish feature a dorsal hump, are heavy-bodied, and blueish gray in appearance. Counting the number of rays on the anal fin is the best way to detect the difference between a channel catfish and a Blue Catfish Species. The rays on a blue catfish are 30–36, while the rays on a channel catfish are 25–29.  The fish have a forked tail and are similar in appearance to channel catfish.

Image of a blue catfish mouth open
credit:nps.gov

For feeding on the bottom, they have huge heads with down-turned mouths. Dark spots can be found on a channel catfish. Barbels, a deeply forked tail, and a projecting upper jaw are all features of blue catfish. 165 centimeters (65 inches) in length and 68 kg in weight (150 lb)

Habitat

They are primarily found in big river systems, where they can be found in main channels, tributaries, and impoundments. In the summer, they migrate upstream in search of cooler temperatures, while in the winter, they migrate downstream in quest of warmer water.

Spawning

Their spawning behavior is similar to that of a channel catfish, however, they do not attain sexual maturity until they are 24 inches long. They eat a variety of foods before becoming piscivorous as adults. The female deposits egg masses into cavities in logs or any other bottom structure during spawning in late spring or early summer. After the eggs are laid, both male and female catfish monitor the nest until it hatches. In Texas, the blue catfish is the largest freshwater sport fish.

Diets

A blue catfish navigating through the water
credit:in-fisherman.com

The blue catfish eats a variety of foods, but it prefers to consume fish while it is young. Despite the fact that invertebrates still make up the majority of the food, they can grow to be quite large. Adult Asian carp can only be eaten by blue catfish, which are one of the few fish species in the Mississippi River basin that can do so. They are opportunistic predators who will consume any type of fish they can catch, as well as crawfish, freshwater mussels, frogs, and other aquatic food sources.

Blue Catfish Species are known for feeding beneath marauding swarms of striped bass in open water in reservoirs or feasting on wounded baitfish that have been washed over dam spillways or power-generation turbines, making catching their prey all the easier. They usually weigh between 20 and 40 pounds and can live for up to 40 years. They can grow to be as huge as 115 pounds

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The Blind Shark Fish is a  nocturnal, bottom-dwelling species that can be found along the eastern Australian coast in rocky areas and seagrass beds from the aquatic environment to a depth of 140 meters (460 ft). The blind Shark Fish (Brachaelurus waddi) is one of two carpet shark species in the Brachaeluridae family, the other being the blue-grey carpet shark (Brachaelurus Colclough).

It frequents tidal pools, where it may become trapped by the receding tide, and can survive for long periods of time out of the water. The common name Blind Shark refers to the species’ habit of closing its eyes when it is taken out of the water.

James Douglas Ogilby named this species Brachaelurus in 1907. Brachaelurus comes from the Greek words brachys, which means “short,” and ailouros, which means “cat.” It and the blue-grey carpet shark were given their own family by Leonard Compagno in 1973. The brown catshark, also known as the dusky dogfish, is another name for this shark.

A blind shark in its habitat beside a rocky cafe
credit:alchetron.com

The International Union for Conservation of Nature has classified it as Least Concern because there are no significant threats to its population. It is not valued by commercial or recreational fishermen, and because of its hardiness, it is likely to be returned to the water alive if accidentally caught.

Blind Shark Fish Habitat and Distribution

The blind shark’s range is limited to Australia’s eastern coast, from Mooloolaba in southern Queensland to Jervis Bay in New South Wales; previous reports from Western Australia and the Northern Territory appear to be brown-banded bamboo shark misidentifications. In high-energy surge zones, juveniles are common. This shark has been seen lying in the open atop sponges in Nelson Bay. Shelters in caves and under ledges during the day and feeds at night on rocky reefs, shorelines, and adjacent seagrass beds.

Blind Shark Fish Body description

  • The blind shark has a broad, flattened head with a blunt snout and a stocky body.
  • The small, oval eyes are high on the head and have prominent ridges beneath them; the oval spiracles are behind and below the eyes and have prominently raised rims.
  • The nostrils are almost at the snout’s tip, with long, tapering barbels in the front and well-developed skin folds and furrows around the incurrent holes.
Blind shark lying gently in its habitat
credit:dreamstime.com
  • The pectoral fins have rounded margins and are large and broad.
  • The size of the two dorsal fins is roughly equal.
  • The pelvic fins are almost as large as the pectoral fins and are rounded.
  • The anal fin is about half the size of the dorsal fins and is attached to the long, low caudal fin at its base. With no ventral lobe and a strong ventral notch near the tip of the upper lobe, the caudal fin makes up about a quarter of the total length.

This species has a light to the dark brown upper surface with white flecks and a lighter lower surface. Dark bands cover the body and tail of juveniles, which disappear with age. The blind shark can grow to be 0.9–1.2 meters long.

Blind Shark Fish Diets

This species can survive being stranded by the outgoing tide for up to 18 hours out of the water. During the day, the blind shark is secretive and sluggish, with adults hiding in caves or under cliff edges and juveniles in crevices, although they will eat if given the chance. It forages for small invertebrates such as crabs, shrimp, cephalopods, sea anemones, and bony fishes at night over reefs and seagrass meadows. Suction is used to capture prey items.

Blind Shark Fish Breeding

A blind shark navigating through the water looking for what to eat
credit:nature.com

Males and females reach sexual maturity when they reach a length of fewer than 24 inches for males and 26 inches for females. The species is aplacental yolk sac viviparous, which means that the young are born alive after developing from eggs inside the uterus. Females have litters of 7 to 8 young pups in late spring, with a possible annual reproductive cycle, and they are born at a length of 17 cm. In captivity, it has lived to be 20 years old.

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