12 



THE AQUARIUM BULLETIN 



and forth at the front of the aquarium. 

 The best food for these tishes is 

 large daphnia, mosquito larvae, all 

 kinds of bugs and water insects, earth- 

 worms and enchytraen. The Scalane 

 does not like to pick food off the 

 bottom of the aquarium unless very 

 hungry ; they prefer to get it while 

 it is dropping, floating or swimming 

 around. They are on very rare 

 occasions inclined to tight and some- 

 times fly around the tank at a 

 ferocious speed ending up with a 

 fierce impact against the sides or 



more darkly colored than in the 

 female. Eyes mostly a deep red 

 color, but on some specimens pale red 

 or yellow. The threadlike extensions 

 to the u]»per and lower ends of the tail 

 are considerably longer, but very 

 readily damaged as they are delicate 

 and easily buckled. The front edge 

 of the feelers of the young males are 

 bordered in red, have stronger and 

 sharper serrations than those of the 

 female. The forehead, especially in 

 the old fishes is arched considerably. 

 The female fish has tranverse bands 



covering of the aquarium. But this 

 happens very seldom and they do not 

 injure themselves as a rule. 



The male fish is more pale in color 

 with less distinct transverse black 

 stripes, but the stripe passing through 

 the head is a deep black. Dorsal fins 

 are narrow, run out to a more acute 

 point than those of the female. These 

 fins, especially in the young fishes, are 

 bordered in a gleaming red color, so 

 are also the long drawnout ventral 

 fins. The extensions, often very long, 

 (mostly in older fishes) branch out at 

 ends of dorsal and ventral fins and are 



of a dee[) velvety black color, breast 

 an iridescent green, abdomen a 

 lighter color. Dorsal fin extends 

 broadly, in older fishes up to one inch 

 wide and also of the same deep black 

 marking. Feelers much shorter than 

 those of the male. Abdomen broad 

 and full, with a greater distance 

 between the ventral and pectoral fins. 

 Generally speaking the female is much 

 more beautifully colored than the 

 male, a rare occurence in fish. 



These distinguishing features can- 

 not always be depended upon. The 

 very changeable coloring, the more or 



