TROPICAL AQUARIUM FISHES 9:^. 



DESCRIPTIVE KEY 

 To Foregoing List of Aquarium Fishes 



For all practical purposes the breeding habits of known aquarium 

 fishes may be classed under 18 headings. Instead of needless repetition, 

 each of these is described but once. By matching the following key letters 

 and figures with those in the preceding Alphabetical List, full information 

 regarding any of the listed fishes may be had. 



EXPLANATION: The letter B stands for "Breeding" and the 

 figure in alphabetical list specifics to which breeding group each fish 

 belongs. 



The letter N stands for "Nature" or disposition of the fish, particu- 

 larly with reference to zvhethcr it may be kept with other fishes, and if 

 so, under what conditions. 



Bl GROUP 



DANJO FAMILY. All fishes of this group drop their eggs freely 

 in the water, while actively swimming alongside their mates, frequently 

 more than one male participating in the (external) fructification of the 

 eggs as extruded. This group of fish have a tendency to devour their 

 eggs as soon as dropped and under aquarium conditions this should be 

 guarded against by providing shelter for the eggs to fall amongst, such as 

 stones, densely-growing vegetation, etc. The eggs are non-adhesive and 

 can be moved by the action of the water or otherwise at any period during 

 development, which lasts only from 3 to 5 days, according to the tem- 

 perature of the water, action of sunlight, etc. The young fish hang like 

 "commas" against the glass sides of the aquarium in which they hatch 

 (the parent fish having been carefully removed immediately after 

 spawning was completed), and after a couple of days they adopt the 

 position of normal adult fish in the water, swimming horizontally in 

 search of food, such as infusoria, etc., and later small daphnia and 

 Cyclops. Young fishes of this group take kindly to finely powdered dry 

 fish foods and do well on it. As they grow, the larger specimens should 

 be separated from the smaller ones or the latter will be starved. Tem- 

 perature of the water should be maintained at the MAXIMUM given 

 under temperature herein or slightly higher and so kept until at least two 

 months later before allowing it to drop at all. 



Bla GROUP 



BARB FAMILY. Same as the preceding, except that the eggs are 

 adhesive to the plants, stones or glass aquarium sides. 



