62 



THE AQUARIUM BULLETIN 



Interesting Fish for tlie Aquarium 



By C. J. Hhkde 



It is \erv difficult to explain here 

 which kinds of tishes are the best to 

 keep, as it is greatly a matter of taste 

 or a fascination for one or more 

 particular kinds. The very rare and 

 costly tishes are generally not so very 

 interesting and do not always give 

 the greatest pleasure to their owner. 

 The ordinary or most easily obtain- 

 able kinds are generally the most 

 desirable to keep, some for their 

 beautiful colors, others for their in- 

 teresting breeding habits and the ways 

 in which they care for their young. 

 Of the spaw^ning fishes: the Paradise 

 Fish, Betta Splendes, Betta Rubra, 

 Trichogaster Lalius, Trichogaster 

 Labiosus, all belonging to the family 

 of Labyrinth fishes, Vv'hich are nest 

 builders. Their habitat : the Eastern 

 part of Asia. 



Of the Danio, the four best 

 varities of these are : Danio Rerio, 

 Danio Analipunctatus, Danio Albol- 

 ineatus, Danio Malabaricus, all fine 

 looking, hardy and easy to raise. 

 These fishes also have their habitat 

 in Eastern Asia and they belong to 

 the so-called egg-dropping fishes. 



The Haplochilus Family which 

 greatly resemble a pike or pickerel, 

 although much smaller, are seldom 

 over three inches long. The principal 

 varities are the Cameroniensis, the 

 Faciolatus, and the Lineatus, and the 

 Chaperi, their habitat Africa, the pink 

 colored and very prolific Latipedes, 

 the green Lineatus from Asia. These 

 are among the prettiest varieties. 



The mouth breeders. (Paratipalia 

 multi-color), lately renamed Hap- 

 lochromis Strigigena, are a very 

 interesting fi'jh on account of their 



peculiar breeding habits. After the 

 female lays her eggs she i)laces them 

 in her mouth, where the young fishes 

 are hatched out and still remain in 

 her mouth for several days. Even 

 after that the young fishes seek 

 shelter in their mother's mouth on 

 being suddenly frightened. This hsh 

 is not difficult to keep; it is a fine 

 shape and color. The male in breed- 

 ing time appears as though covered 

 with i)recious stones. Their habitat : 

 Egypt. 



The Pyrrhulina Filamentosa ha\e 

 a most wonderful way of caring for 

 their spawn. It is deposited above the 

 water on the sides or cover of the 

 glass tank and the eggs are kept moist 

 by the male fish splashing water up 

 at them every 15 to 20 minutes. 

 When the young fish appear they will 

 drop down into the water and are 

 able to care for themselves if the 

 water contains a supply of Infusoria. 

 These fishes, besides their peculiar 

 ways of spawning and raising their 

 young, are of an elegant slender shape 

 and beautiful color with fine mark- 

 ings. They are found in Central 

 and South America. 



The Bitterling (Rhodeus Amarus) 

 is another interesting breeder. The 

 fishes dej)osit their spawn and fertil- 

 ize it in the inside of a fresh water 

 mussels wherein the eggs hatch. 

 After leaving their foster mother, the 

 mussel, they receive and need no care 

 from the parent fishes. The male is 

 verv prettily colored with red. These 

 fishes are found in Europe. 



The Tetragonopterus (Rubro I'ic- 

 tus), also called Red Fin or Blood 

 Fin, is one of the prettiest looking 



