colomesus is a genus of pufferfishes confined to tropical south america .

apart from differences in size , the two species are superficially similar , being green above , white below , and patterned with black transverse bands across the dorsal surface .

c. asellus is commonly found in the aquarium trade while c. psittacus due to its size and more specialized requirements is not found as often .

colomesus

the analyses included the following taxa : tetraodon nigroviridis , tetraodon biocellatus , sphoeroides testudineus , lagocephalus laevigatus , colomesus asellus , colomesus psittacus , and the freshwater colomesus from the tocantins drainage .
a ) colomesus tocantinensis nov . sp . – tocantins ( holotype pnt . uerj . 405 highlighted in white ) ; b ) colomesus asellus – iquitos ; c ) colomesus asellus – belém .
colomesus psittacus is a component of the marine aquarium trade , however there no indications at present time of declines from harvesting .
there are no known species - specific conservation measures in place for colomesus psittacus however its distribution overlaps with several marine protected areas .
colomesus tocantinensis nov . sp . urn : lsid : zoobank . org : act : 9b8accb5 - ff55 - 4514 - 901b - 6366fb6ea307
the hydrodynamic trails of lepomis gibbosus ( centrarchidae ) , colomesus psittacus ( tetraodontidae ) and thysochromis ansorgii ( cichlidae ) investigated with scanning particle image velocimetry .
the hydrodynamic trails of lepomis gibbosus ( centrarchidae ) , colomesus psittacus ( tetraodontidae ) and thysochromis ansorgii ( cichlidae ) investigate . . . - pubmed - ncbi
here we used both morphological and molecular methodologies in an integrative taxonomical approach to investigate the diversity of the amazonian freshwater pufferfishes of the genus colomesus based on specimens collected from three distinct populations from both brazil and peru . additionally , we describe a new colomesus species from the upper tocantins drainage based on both morphological and molecular data .
the neighbor - joining ( nj ) and maximum - likelihood ( ml ) result trees are presented in figures 2 and 3 , respectively . the genus colomesus was recovered as monophyletic inside the group formed by the sampled sphoeroides species , in except for sphoeroides pachygaster . lagocephalus was recovered in a basal phylogenetic position in relation to sphoeroides and colomesus , therefore corroborating recent results such as those presented by [ 43 ] – [ 45 ] .
based on a comprehensive analysis including both morphological and molecular methodologies using the cytochrome c oxidase i gene , we were able to discuss aspects of the phylogeny and phylogeography of the south american freshwater pufferfishes of the genus colomesus .
the use of molecular systematic techniques together with morphological methodologies confirmed the identification of a new cryptic pufferfish species from the upper tocantins drainage , colomesus tocantinensis nov . sp . morphological features such as the color pattern , the absence of dermal flaps across the chin , the distinct ‘inverted v’ opercle shape , and the caudal peduncle morphology , all support the description of colomesus tocantinensis nov . sp . , as a new pufferfish species from the south american freshwater drainages .
tyler , j . c . , 1964 - proceedings of the academy of natural sciences of philadelphia 116 : 119 - 148 a diagnosis of the two species of south american puffer fishes ( tetraodontidae , plectognathi ) of the genus colomesus .
the color pattern of colomesus tocantinensis nov . sp . is essentially the same as that of colomesus asellus , with five transverse dark bars across the dorsal region of the body . a dark blotch on the underside of the caudal peduncle , which is a state used by [ 46 ] to diagnose colomesus asellus , is present or absent , being vestigial to unobservable or absent in several specimens . the interspaces between the dark bars are light yellow , with gradually decreasing pigmentation and becoming white in the ventral region ( figure 6 ) . however , the light yellow to pale pattern presented by c . tocantinensis nov . sp . clearly contrasts with the gold - yellow pattern present in specimens from iquitos and belém .
colomesus was recovered deep inside the group formed by the remaining sphoeroides species , therefore suggesting sphoeroides as paraphyletic , with s . pachygaster being recovered as basal in relation to all the remaining sphoeroides species in all the analyses . additionally , colomesus was also recovered as the sister - taxa of the group formed by the species sphoeroides nephelus , s . tyleri , and s . greeleyi in the nj result , although it was recovered as the sister - taxa of s . greeleyi in the ml results .
deep sequence divergence was observed regarding the freshwater colomesus from the tocantins drainage ( figure 5 ) . the mean sequence divergence of the specimens from both belém and iquitos was estimated at 1 . 079 % , while the tocantins distances ranged from 1 . 955 % to 3 . 063 % , with a mean distance of 2 . 166 % . the observed sequence divergence values together with the congruence observed from both molecular and morphological phylogenetic approaches used here suggest the existence of an overlooked species within the genus colomesus .
coi amplicons were obtained from all the specimens included in the analyses . the obtained sequences clearly identified both previous accepted colomesus species ( c . asellus and c . psittacus ) , therefore being in accordance with the previous morphological diagnose presented by [ 46 ] .
the neighbor - joining ( nj ) and maximum - likelihood ( ml ) trees that encompass the genera triodon , diodon , chilomycterus , lagocephalus , tetraodon , takifugu , sphoeroides , and colomesus , were constructed using the mega 5 . 06 software [ 40 ] .
our molecular results based on the coi marker agrees with the recent results such as [ 43 ] – [ 45 ] , and suggest that the genus sphoeroides should be revised , mainly regarding the phylogenetic position recovered for the genus colomesus , deeply nested within the sphoeroides tree , and the basal position recovered for s . pachygaster . we plan further investigations along these lines to reconcile any conflicts between these molecular hypotheses presented herein and morphologically based interpretations [ 47 ] of the phylogeny of the taxa of colomesus , sphoeroides , and lagocephalus .
citation : amaral crl , brito pm , silva da , carvalho ef ( 2013 ) a new cryptic species of south american freshwater pufferfish of the genus colomesus ( tetraodontidae ) , based on both morphology and dna data . plos one 8 ( 9 ) : e74397 . urltoken
araujo - lima , c . a . r . m . , d . savastano , and l . cardeliquio jordão , 1994 - revue d ' hydrobiologie tropicale 27 ( 1 ) : 33 - 38 drift of colomesus asellus ( teleostei : tetraodontidae ) larvae in the amazon river .
krumme , u . , h . keuthen , u . saint - paul , and w . villwock , 2007 - brazilian journal of biology 67 ( 3 ) : 383 - 392 contribution to the feeding ecology of the banded puffer fish colomesus psittacus ( tetraodontidae ) in north brazilian mangrove creeks .
specimens of colomesus asellus were collected from three distinct populations with about 2200 km of mean distance separating them . the collection localities were ilha do mosqueiro , belém , brazil ; upper tocantins river - porto nacional , tocantins , brazil ; and nanay river - iquitos , peru ( figure 1 ) .
amazon puffer fish aka colomesus asellus are awesome fish . they are generally considered as peaceful and get to about 4 inches and can live in planted tanks with other fish . if you ' ve enjoyed this video and haven ' t already subscribed to our channel , please click that subscribe button now .
amaral , c . r . l . , p . m . brito , d . a . silva and e . f . carvalho , 2013 - plos one 8 ( 9 ) : 1 - 15 a new cryptic species of south american freshwater pufferfish of the genus colomesus ( tetraodontidae ) , based on both morphology and dna data .
within the genus colomesus , it can be immediately identified from congeners by its larger adult size , possession of 17 - 19 ( vs . 13 - 16 ) pectoral - fin rays , presence of 6 ( vs . 5 ) transverse dark bands dorsally on the body , and predominantly brackish , coastal ( vs . freshwater , fluvial ) ecology .
colomesus : from the ancient greek χωλóς ( cholós ) , meaning ‘physically defective , crippled’ , and μέσος  ( mésos ) , meaning ‘middle’ , presumably in reference to the frontal bones being narrowed , not connected to the orbit , and with the elongated postfrontals connected to the prefrontals ( see gill 1884 , also note misspelling of χωλóς as κολoς ) .
oliveira , j . s . , s . c . rego fernandes , c . a . schwartz , c . bloch jr . , j . a . taquita melo , o . r . pires jr . , and j . c . de freitas , 2006 - toxicon 48 ( 1 ) : 55 - 63 toxicity and toxin identification in colomesus asellus , an amazonian ( brazil ) freshwater puffer fish .
in lateral view , the skull is characterized by the wide preopercle with about 110 degrees between both horizontal and vertical rami ( figure 7 ) , with the preopercular canal running along its anterior border , and by the opercle which is divided in two distinct regions , having ventral and posterior wings , the herein called “inverted v” shape , distinct from the condition found in all other examined specimens of colomesus ( figure 10 ) . the subopercle is sturdy , with two small dorsal processes .
puffer flesh is toxic and can cause clinical poisoning and human mortality , although it is regarded as a delicacy in certain countries . the predominant toxin , usually either tetrodotoxin or saxitoxin , is dependant on species , geographic area , and time of year . the toxins are not produced by the fishes themselves , but by bacteria living in symbiotic association , or they are acquired via the food chain . colomesus species accumulate saxitoxin , although it is unclear whether eating their flesh represents a danger to humans .
among the amazonian taxa exploited by the ornamental fish industry in south america are those of colomesus [ 2 ] , a genus confined to south america , with what is presently considered two species , c . asellus and c . psittacus . c . asellus [ 3 ] is spread in the entire amazon , tocantins - araguaia drainages , and coastal environments from the amazon mouth to venezuela , being the only freshwater puffers on that continent . c . psittacus [ 4 ] is found in coastal marine and brackish water environments from cuba and the northern coast of south america to sergipe in brazil .
within the genus colomesus , c . asellus can be immediately identified by possessing a unique transverse row of dermal flaps across the chin which is absent in its congeners c . psittacus and c . tocantinensis . it can be further told apart from the very similar c . tocantinensis by possession of 10 ( vs . 9 in c . tocantinensis ) anal - fin rays , 11 ( vs . 10 ) dorsal - fin rays , a triangular ( vs . notched ventrally , appearing as an inverted v ) opercle , base colour in dorsal portion of body golden yellow ( vs . light yellow to pale ) .
colomesus species diagnosed by six to seven basal pterygiophores and nine rays in the anal fin ( contra ten to eleven in both c . asellus and c . psittacus ) ; ten basal pterygiophores and rays in the dorsal fin ( contra eleven for both c . asellus and c . psittacus ) ; the absence of dermal flaps across the chin ( contra its presence uniquely in c . asellus ) ; a caudal peduncle with eight vertebrae ; and an opercle with a posterior ventral border subdivided in a ventral and a posterior region , the herein called “inverted v” shape ( contra the triangular opercle exhibited by both c . asellus and c . psittacus ) .
although the influence of marine incursions after the miocene is still under debate , the caribbean ( or miocene ) marine incursion , via the llanos basin ( colombia - venezuela ) , is well accepted based on both geological and paleontological evidence , suggesting that these incursions may have isolated marine taxa within the western south america freshwater environments [ 48 ] – [ 52 ] . this might be the case for the freshwater tetraodontids . as pointed by [ 53 ] , this scenario predicts that the distribution of the marine sister groups of marine lineages should be related with the caribbean or western atlantic , the age of freshwater taxa should be coincident with marine incursions , and the biogeographic congruence should be observed among multiple unrelated taxa , conditions only partially filled by the genus colomesus .
the skull is partially similar to those found in colomesus asellus described and figured by [ 46 ] , although the frontals exhibit a wide posterior border and prominently participate in the orbital margin ( figures 7 – 9 ) . the prefrontals are triangular and articulate medially with the ethmoid , which posteriorly articulates with the frontals and anteriorly with the palatines ( figure 8 ) . the supraoccipital is roughly triangular and well developed , with an elongate posterior process which covers the first vertebrae ( figure 8 ) . the sphenotics articulate postero - laterally with the frontals and , in the examined specimens , they neither contact nor closely approach the prefrontals . the lateral wing of the sphenotics is only partially developed ( figure 8 ) . posterior to the sphenotics , the pterotics ( figures 7 and 8 ) articulates posteriorly with the slender supracleithrum and medially with the epiotics , which articulates medially with the supraoccipital ( figure 9 ) .
the genus colomesus is restricted to south america ( amaral et al . 2013 ) . tetraodontids are characterized by a tough skin that is often covered with small spinulous scales , a beak - like dental plate divided by a median suture , a slit - like gill opening anterior to the base of the pectoral fin , no pelvic fins , no fin spines , a single usually short - based dorsal fin , a single usually short - based anal fin , and no ribs . they are capable of inflating their abdomens with water when frightened or disturbed and are capable of producing and accumulating toxins such as tetrodotoxin and saxitoxin in the skin , gonads , and liver . the degree of toxicity varies by species , and also according to geographic area and season ( allen and randall 1977 , allen and erdmann 2012 ) . fishes in the family tetraodontidae have the smallest vertebrate genomes known to date ( neafsey and palumbi 2003 )
greek , kolos = short , truncated + greek , mesos = a half ( ref . 45335 )
marine ; freshwater ; brackish ; demersal ; ph range : 7 . 0 - ? ; dh range : 10 - ? ; depth range 1 - 40 m ( ref . 5217 ) . tropical ; 23°c - 26°c ( ref . 2060 )
maturity : l m ? range ? - ? cm max length : 29 . 3 cm tl male / unsexed ; ( ref . 71685 ) ; common length : 25 . 0 cm tl male / unsexed ; ( ref . 5217 )
dorsal spines ( total ) : 0 ; dorsal soft rays ( total ) : 11 - 12 ; anal spines : 0 ; anal soft rays : 11 . body except for snout , pectoral base and caudal peduncle covered with prickles ; teeth fused into plates , two plates on each jaw ; nostril with two openings ; body dark green dorsally with six transverse black bars , white ventrally ; fins dusky green or dark brown ( ref . 13608 ) .
solitary or in groups of 2 or 3 individuals but never in schools ( ref . 35237 ) . inhabits shallow inshore waters usually on soft bottoms . frequently found in freshwater ( ref . 13608 ) . when threatened , it becomes inflated like a balloon , in order to ward off predators . carnivorous , feeding mainly on mollusks which crushes with its powerful teeth ( ref . 35237 ) . of negligible commercial importance and usually not marketed ( ref . 5217 ) .
cervigón , f . , r . cipriani , w . fischer , l . garibaldi , m . hendrickx , a . j . lemus , r . márquez , j . m . poutiers , g . robaina and b . rodriguez , 1992 . fichas fao de identificación de especies para los fines de la pesca . guía de campo de las especies comerciales marinas y de aquas salobres de la costa septentrional de sur américa . fao , rome . 513 p . preparado con el financiamento de la comisión de comunidades europeas y de norad . ( ref . 5217 )
) : 25 . 6 - 28 , mean 27 . 3 ( based on 210 cells ) .
phylogenetic diversity index ( ref . 82805 ) : pd 50 = 0 . 7500 [ uniqueness , from 0 . 5 = low to 2 . 0 = high ] .
bayesian length - weight : a = 0 . 02570 ( 0 . 01637 - 0 . 04036 ) , b = 2 . 86 ( 2 . 73 - 2 . 99 ) , in cm total length , based on lwr estimates for this species & ( sub ) family - body ( ref . 93245 ) .
trophic level ( ref . 69278 ) : 3 . 6 ±0 . 50 se ; based on food items .
resilience ( ref . 69278 ) : high , minimum population doubling time less than 15 months ( preliminary k or fecundity . ) .
vulnerability ( ref . 59153 ) : low vulnerability ( 25 of 100 ) .
freshwater ; demersal ; ph range : 5 . 5 - 7 . 2 ; dh range : 5 - 15 . tropical ; 22°c - 28°c ( ref . 13614 )
south america : amazon river basin from peru to marajó island , including tributaries araguaia and guaporé rivers ; orinoco river basin near the mouth ; essequibo river basin .
maturity : l m ? range ? - ? cm max length : 12 . 8 cm sl male / unsexed ; ( ref . 79673 )
found mostly in freshwater and coastal streams , but can tolerate brackish water . sometimes kept in aquariums ( ref . 26938 ) .
ortega , h . and r . p . vari , 1986 . annotated checklist of the freshwater fishes of peru . smithson . contrib . zool . ( 437 ) : 1 - 25 . ( ref . 6329 )
bayesian length - weight : a = 0 . 03236 ( 0 . 01891 - 0 . 05537 ) , b = 2 . 85 ( 2 . 71 - 2 . 99 ) , in cm total length , based on lwr estimates for this species & ( sub ) family - body ( ref . 93245 ) .
trophic level ( ref . 69278 ) : 3 . 3 ±0 . 51 se ; based on food items .
vulnerability ( ref . 59153 ) : low vulnerability ( 14 of 100 ) .
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thank you for taking the time to provide feedback on the iucn red list of threatened species website , we are grateful for your input .
carpenter , k . e . , comeros - raynal , m . , harwell , h . & sanciangco , j .
is known from the gulf of paria to northern brazil where it is common and locally abundant in mangrove creeks and estuaries at depths ranging from 0 to 32 metres . it appears to be common and abundant in parts of its range .
is a component of the marine aquarium trade , however there are no indications of population declines from harvesting at present time . there have been no documented population declines in
, however due to its affinity with mangroves this species may be experiencing population declines due to habitat loss in parts of its range .
, however its distribution overlaps with several marine reserves in parts of its range . it is therefore listed as least concern .
2010 ) . its range extends eastward the gulf of paria and orinoco river region on the eastern coast of venezuela to the amazon river basin in northern brazil . it is found as far south as sergipe in brazil ( amaral 2013 ) . it is known from marine and freshwaters around trinidad and tobago ( tyler 1964 , philip
. 2013 ) . it is also found in cuba ( amaral 2013 ) . it can also be found in freshwater , and is known from several hundred kilometres upstream in the amazon and its tributary river system .
is a dominant component of northern mangrove estuaries , both numerically and by weight .
2007 ) accounting for between 19 and 52 % of total catch mass ( giarrizzo and krumme 2009 ) . this species is the second most abundant estuarine species in tidal mangrove creeks of the lower caeté estuary , with population density and biomass fluctuating seasonally ( barletta
2003 ) but with a continuous occurrence ( giarrizzo and krumme 2009 ) . in mangrove creeks in northern brazil , there were no major changes in the mean size of juvenile
2013 ) . this species exhibited a geographic consistence in abundance in northern brazilian estuaries ( between 7 . 7 % and 11 . 4 % ) ( vilar
are very common in museum collections ( accessed through the fishnet2 portal , www . fishnet2 . org , 2014 - 03 - 17 ) .
may be experiencing population declines due to habitat loss in parts of its range .
is thought to have relatively continuous reproductive activity in brazilian mangrove creeks ( giarrizzo and krumme 2009 ) . different estuarine habitats are inhabited by different size classes of resident
, and are likely connected by regular tidal migrations ( giarrizzo and krumme 2009 ) . the estimated consumption / biomass ratio of this species in a mangrove estuary in northeastern brazil was 8 . 8 , which was relatively low - q / b ratios varied from between 2 . 3 for
is a component of the aquarium trade , and is exported from brazil , colombia , and peru ( prang 2007 ) . in brazil , this species is of no commercial interest to fishermen and is rarely marketed due to its toxicity ( krumme
2007 ) . under the name baiacu , this species is valued for its medicinal properties . the bile and liver oil are used to treat breast cancer , backache , and warts ( alves and rosa 2007 ) . the japanese name for this species is kuro - obifugu .
may be experiencing population declines due to habitat loss in parts of its range . it is taken as bycatch in the laulao catfish (
globally , 16 % of mangrove species are at elevated risk of extinction . particular areas of geographical concern include the atlantic and pacific coasts of central america , where as many as 40 % of mangroves species present are threatened with extinction . ( polidoro et al . 2010 ) . in the caribbean , approximately 24 % of mangrove area has been lost over the past quarter - century ( fao 2007 ) .
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psittacus : from the ancient greek ψιττακός  ( psittakós ) , meaning ‘parrot’ , persumably in reference to this species’ beak - like mouthparts .
this species’ known range extends eastwards from the parque nacional natural tayrona in magdalena department , colombia , across northern venezuela , the gulf of paria and orinoco delta , then southwards via the guyanas and past the mouth of the amazon , with the southernmost records from sergipe state in northeastern brazil . it is also known from trinidad and tobago and caribbean islands including the greater antilles , lesser antilles , and bahamas .
records from the middle and upper amazon basins appear to represent misidentifications of the congener c . asellus .
although it does penetrate the lower basins of rivers , particularly the amazon where it has been collected from the rio xingu several hundred kilometres from its mouth , this species is predominantly an inhabitant of mangrove swamps , estuaries , and other such saline habitats .
it is particularly common in tidal channels , shallow inshore lagoons , and the lower reaches of rivers .
is suggested as a bare minimum , but even this may prove too small for long - term care .
choice of décor is not especially critical though it should be maintained in a well - decorated set - up , perhaps containing some driftwood roots or branches in order to mimic its natural mangrove habitats .
it is intolerant of organic waste and require spotless water in order to thrive . moderate levels of dissolved oxygen and water movement are also recommended , meaning additional powerheads , pumps , etc . , should be employed as necessary . a linear flow pump may prove a useful addition , while weekly water changes of 30 - 50 % should be considered mandatory .
wild examples can be delicate and sensitive to white spot / ich post - import , so a lengthy quarantine period may be required . maintenance in pure freshwater may also present problems , so the addition of marine salt to a standard gravity of ≥1 . 010 is recommended .
chiefly carnivorous and feeds almost exclusively on molluscs and crustaceans such as cirripedia ( barnacles ) and brachyuran crabs , taking increasingly mobile prey as it matures . there is also evidence to suggest seasonal changes in diet , with crabs favoured during drier periods .
in the aquarium offer unshelled crab legs , cockles , mussels , prawns , etc . tetraodontids lack true teeth , the jawbone itself being modified into four fused toothlike structures . these grow continuously at a surprising rate , so such a diet is essential in order to maintain them at a reasonable length .
juveniles apparently form loose aggregations in the wild , but in the confines of an aquarium this species is likely to prove aggressive in all but the largest systems .
this species is also referred to as ‘parrot puffer’ in the ornamental trade , although it is not a popular aquarium fish .
other defining characters of tetraodontids include a tough skin usually covered with small spines , a beak - like dental plate divided by a median suture , a reduced gill opening anterior to the pectoral - fin base , no pelvic fins or spinous fin rays , typically short - based dorsal and anal fins , and no ribs .
bloch , m . e . and j . g . schneider , 1801 - gottlob schneider , saxo . berolini . sumtibus auctoris impressum et bibliopolio sanderiano commissum : i - lx + 1 - 584 m . e . blochii , systema ichthyologiae iconibus cx ilustratum . post obitum auctoris opus inchoatum absolvit , correxit , interpolavit jo .
camargo , m . , t . giarrizzo , and v . isaac , 2004 - ecotropica 10 : 123 - 147 review of the geographic distribution of fish fauna of the xingu river basin , brazil .
gill , t . n . , 1884 - proceedings of the united states national museum 7 ( 26 - 27 ) : 411 - 427 synopsis of the plectognath fishes .
helfman , g . , b . b . collette , d . e . facey , and b . w . bowen , 2009 - wiley - blackwell : 1 - 736 the diversity of fishes : biology , evolution , and ecology , 2nd edition .
nelson , j . s . , 2006 - john wiley & sons , hoboken , n . j . : i - xix + 1 - 601 fishes of the world . 4th edition .
phillip , d . a . t . , d . c . taphorn , e . holm , j . f . gilliam , b . a . lamphere and h . lópez - fernández , 2013 - zootaxa 3711 ( 1 ) : 1 - 64 annotated list and key to the stream fishes of trinidad & tobago .
reis , r . e . , s . o . kullander and c . j . ferraris , jr . ( eds ) , 2003 - edipucrs , porto alegre : i - xi + 1 - 729 check list of the freshwater fishes of south and central america . cloffsca .
the best way to identify c . asellus from c . psittacus is the number of bands on their back . c . asellus having 5 when c . psittacus having 6 . the black band at the nose doesn’t count . even if the band is very faint , it counts .
asellus : derivation unclear ; possibly from the latin asellus , meaning ‘small donkey’ .
occurs throughout much of the amazon basin in brazil , colombia , peru , and ecuador , including the amazonas / solimões main channel plus the rios pará , tocantins , jari , xingu , tapajós , uatumã , madeira , trombetas , negro , purus , tefé , japurá / caquetá , juruá , jutaí , içá / putomayo , javary , ampiyacu , amacayacú , napo , nanay , marañón , and ucayali , with its range extending at least as far upstream as pucallpa in eastern peru .
there are also numerous records from drainages north of the amazon mouth including the essequibo and waini in guyana , and lower orinoco in venezuela . it appears to be absent from french guiana and suriname .
has been recorded in lower , middle , and upper river basins with habitats including sandbars , beaches , floodplain lakes , banks with overhanging vegetation , and fast - flowing rapids over bedrock , boulders , and stones . it is mostly collected from habitats with high oxygen levels , suggesting that it may be sensitive to low oxygen availability .
it is adaptable , penetrating into tributaries of the upper amazon , but also occuring in the amazon and orinoco delta regions , although it does not tend to be found in highly acidic black - waters .
the maximum recorded length in wild specimens is 128 mm , but aquarium reports suggest 70 – 80 mm to be typical .
choice of décor is not especially critical though it should be maintained in a well - decorated set - up . the addition of floating or overhanging vegetation and driftwood roots or branches also seems to be appreciated .
this species is intolerant of organic waste and require spotless water in order to thrive . moderate levels of dissolved oxygen and water movement are also recommended , meaning additional powerheads , pumps , etc . , should be employed as necessary . a linear flow pump may prove a useful addition , while weekly water changes of 30 - 50 % should be considered mandatory .
wild examples can be delicate and sensitive to white spot / ich post - import , so a lengthy quarantine period may be required .
tetraodontids lack true teeth , the jawbone itself being modified into four fused toothlike structures . these grow continuously at a surprising rate , so offer regular meals of shelled invertebrates such as snails , crab legs , cockles , etc . , in order to maintain them at a reasonable length . there is some evidence to suggest that aufwuchs form a significant proportion of the natural diet , therefore it may be worth permitting or even encouraging algal growth on hard items of décor .
additional foods can include chopped shellfish , small earthworms , and live or frozen chironomid larvae ( bloodworm ) , artemia , etc . dried products should not form the principal component of the diet , although pelleted formats with a very hard consistency may prove useful .
not aggressive as such but unsuitable for the general community aquarium , and best - maintained alone or in a larger set - up with other fluvial fishes .
this species naturally forms loose aggregations and can behave nervously in the absence of conspecifics . ideally a group of 6 or more should be purchased .
this species exhibits a spawning strategy comparable to that of marine puffers and in contrast to the majority of freshwater tetraodontids , with high fecundity , relatively small eggs , and no parental care . limited studies in the central amazon basin suggest that spawning occurs in main river channels or close to banks at the mouths of floodplain lakes and tributaries during periods of high water . the pelagic larvae are washed into nursery zones in floodplain lakes where they complete their development , returning to river channels when flood waters recede .
this species is also referred to as ‘south american puffer’ , ‘sap’ , ‘amazonian puffer’ , ‘peruvian puffer’ , or ‘brazilian puffer’ in the ornamental trade .
it is distinguished from c . psittacus by its smaller adult size ( max . 128 mm sl vs . 289 mm sl in c . psittacus ) , possession of 13 - 16 ( vs . 17 - 19 ) pectoral - fin rays , presence of 5 ( vs . 6 ) transverse dark bands dorsally on the body , and predominantly freshwater , fluvial ( vs . brackish , coastal ) ecology .
müller , j . and f . h . troschel , 1849 - im auftrag sr . mäjestat des königs von preussen ausgeführt von richard schomburgk v . 3 . berlin : 618 - 644 fische . in : reisen in britisch - guiana in den jahren 1840 - 44 .
ortega , h . and r . p . vari , 1986 - smithsonian contributions to zoology 437 : iii + 1 - 25 annotated checklist of the freshwater fishes of peru .
its really hard to identify c . asellus from c . psittacus , the best way i found out is to count the black bars on their body . c . asellus has 5 bars and c . psittacus has 6 .
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eschmeyer , w . n . ( ed ) . catalog of fishes . urltoken electronic version accessed 03 - nov - 2014
disclaimer : itis taxonomy is based on the latest scientific consensus available , and is provided as a general reference source for interested parties . however , it is not a legal authority for statutory or regulatory purposes . while every effort has been made to provide the most reliable and up - to - date information available , ultimate legal requirements with respect to species are contained in provisions of treaties to which the united states is a party , wildlife statutes , regulations , and any applicable notices that have been published in the federal register . for further information on u . s . legal requirements with respect to protected taxa , please contact the u . s . fish and wildlife service .
the webpage text is licensed under a creative commons attribution - noncommercial 4 . 0 license
froese , r . & d . pauly ( editors ) . ( 2018 ) . fishbase . world wide web electronic publication . , available online at urltoken [ details ]
( of tetrodon psittacus bloch & schneider , 1801 ) froese , r . & d . pauly ( editors ) . ( 2018 ) . fishbase . world wide web electronic publication . , available online at urltoken [ details ]
my amazonian , a . k . a . patagonian puffer fish , i love him ! i breed snails for him in a separate 2 , 5 gallon tank . he also loves frozen bloodworms , but he really needs snail to keep his teeth at correct size .
types of freshwater puffer fish for your aquarium | golden puffer , dwarf , amazonian etc .
my own fish store tour . freshwater pufferfish , nano fish , rare plecos , planted aquariums .
warning : the ncbi web site requires javascript to function . more . . .
institut für zoologie der rheinischen friedrich - wilhelms - universität bonn , poppelsdorfer schloszligbeta ; , d - 53115 bonn , germany . hanke @ urltoken
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copyright : © 2013 amaral et al . this is an open - access article distributed under the terms of the creative commons attribution license , which permits unrestricted use , distribution , and reproduction in any medium , provided the original author and source are credited .
funding : this study was supported by the brazilian national counsel of technological and scientific development and fundação carlos chagas filho de amparo à pesquisa do estado do rio de janeiro . the funders had no role in study design , data collection and analysis , decision to publish , or preparation of the manuscript .
the tetraodontidae is an acantomorpha fish family with circumglobal distribution composed of 189 species in 19 genera , occurring in seas , estuaries , and rivers between the tropical and temperate regions [ 1 ] . they are mainly characterized by their typical four large dental plates ; the ability to inflate their body in stressful situations ; the presence of the neurotoxin tetrodotoxin / saxitoxin in its tissues , being responsible for numerous cases of fatal poisoning in many countries , including brazil ; and by having the smallest genome among vertebrates , therefore being considered as a model for the genome evolution of the group .
mainly located in tropical and subtropical regions all around the world , including the amazon region , the ornamental fish industry is one of the largest transporters of live animals and plants with an annual trade volume estimated at u $ 15–25 billion [ 5 ] – [ 7 ] , in a scenario where species identification problems , mainly related to border biosecurity are not rare .
the dna barcode is a widely accepted tool for species determination mainly due to its enhanced attention on standardization and data validation [ 8 ] , being a rapid and low cost method of identification [ 9 ] . the use of dna barcoding techniques has been utilized in many taxa , including bacteria , birds , bivalves , butterflies , fishes , flies , macroalgae , mammals , spiders , sprigtails , and also for plants [ 10 ] – [ 27 ] .
the dna barcode technique for metazoans uses a short ( ∼650 bp ) and standardized gene region from the mitochondrial 5′ region of the cytochrome c oxidase subunit i ( coi ) for a rapid and cost - effective animal identification . this has been demonstrated to be an effective fish identification tool in numerous situations , including consumer protection [ 28 ] – [ 30 ] , fisheries management / conservation [ 31 ] , border biosecurity in the ornamental fish trade [ 5 ] , and in the identification of overlooked or cryptic species [ 32 ] .
map of south america showing the northern hydrology and the localities where the specimens were collected ( grey and green marks ) .
no statement from an ethics committee was necessary , and the manuscript did not involve any endangered or protect species . all samples were extracted from dead specimens collected with appropriate permissions under authorization number 22512 issued by sisbio / instituto chico mendes de conservação da biodiversidade . we used the ice - slurry method for killing following [ 33 ] as they are tropical warm water species and the collected specimens are all smaller than 5 cm sl . all specimens were preserved in alcohol . the reported localities do not include protected areas .
the electronic version of this document does not represent a published work according to the international code of zoological nomenclature ( iczn ) , and hence the nomenclatural acts contained in the electronic version are not available under that code from the electronic edition . therefore , a separate edition of this document was produced by a method that assures numerous identical and durable copies , and those copies were simultaneously obtainable ( from the publication date noted on the first page of this article ) for the purpose of providing a public and permanent scientific record , in accordance with article 8 . 1 of the code . the separate print - only edition is available on request from plos by sending a request to plos one , 1160 battery street , suite 100 , san francisco , ca 94111 , usa along with a check for $ 10 ( to cover printing and postage ) payable to “public library of science” .
in addition , this published work and the nomenclatural acts it contains have been registered in zoobank , the proposed online registration system for the iczn . the zoobank lsids ( life science identifiers ) can be resolved and the associated information viewed through any standard web browser by appending the lsid to the prefix “ urltoken ” . the lsid for this publication is : urn : lsid : zoobank . org : pub : 033a323a - 18f7 - 4788 - 8405 - 32d78bf65b13 .
specimens from all three localities were cleared and stained following the methodology of [ 34 ] .
the molecular systematic analyses used newly determined sequences obtained from the mitochondrial barcode marker coi as well as previously published sequences obtained from the ncbi and bold databases .
for the newly determined sequences , a fragment of epaxial musculature was submitted to the standard protocol for dna extraction and purification from the qiagen qiaamp dna ffpe tissue kit . the fragments were amplified and sequenced using the primers vf2 _ t1 and fishr2 _ t1 [ 35 ] – [ 37 ] . all primers were appended with m13 tails on sequencing reactions . the pcr profile consisted of 2 min at 95°c , 35 cycles of 30 sec at 94° , 40 sec at 52°c , and 1 min at 72°c , with a final extension step for 10 min at 72°c . sequencing reactions were performed with the use of the bigdye® terminator v . 3 . 1 cycle sequencing kit ( applied biosystems , inc . ) , with 25 cycles of 10 sec at 95°c , 5 sec at 50°c and 4 min at 60°c . sequencing products were processed in an abi 3500 capillary system ( applied biosystems , inc . ) .
the chromatograms were checked and aligned using the bioedit 7 . 053 [ 38 ] software with its built - in clustalw routine [ 39 ] . the alignment was visually inspected for accuracy and to minimize missing data . all the newly determined sequences are available at the bold database ( urltoken ) under the project acronym pufer . the genbank accession numbers for all newly determined and previously published sequences used in the present manuscript are summarized in table 1 . the dataset consisted of a 651 bp coi matrix , and we used the mega 5 . 06 software [ 40 ] to determinate the tn93 + g + i as the most appropriate model of sequence evolution based on the akaike criterion ( aic ) [ 41 ] .
the neighbor - joining sequence divergences were calculated based on the kimura two parameter ( k2p ) distance model [ 42 ] on bold workbench and mega 5 . 06 software [ 40 ] . the haplotype determination was carried with the use of the server fabox ( urltoken ) .
the k2p divergence distances between congeneric species ranged from 5 . 557 % to 12 . 394 % with a mean distance of 8 . 546 % , while the uncorrected k2p distance ranged from 0 to 4 . 472 % within species . the mean k2p distance within the analyzed populations was 0 . 657 % and the mean normalized distance within species is 1 . 079 % ( figure 4 ) .
distribution of k2p distances ( % ) for coi : a ) within species ; b ) within genera ; c , normalized distribution of k2p distance ( % ) within species .
the specific epithet tocantinensis refers to the type locality , porto nacional , state of tocantins , brazil .
the specimens are from the tocantins river near porto nacional , state of tocantins , brazil .
the holotype ( pnt . uerj . 405 ) is 29 , 62 mm sl ( figure 6 ) , with 10 , 37 mm hl ; the entire type - series ranges from 27 . 02 mm to 34 . 9 mm sl . the meristic and morphometric data of the type series is presented in table 2 . the extent of the dorsal and ventral lateral lines is similar to those found in c . asellus . the prickles extend along the dorsal , lateral , and ventral surfaces of the body , from the level of the eye to the origin of the dorsal fin .
the nasal sac is higher than that presented in the specimens of c . asellus . two large lateral and anteromedial nostrils are present . they are similar to those found on c . psittacus , rather than the two small nostrils exhibited by c . asellus . the anterior surface of the nasal sac is smooth while the posterior surface of it is folded as in c . psittacus , exhibiting a “t - shaped” ridge with a relatively small dorsal flap . this flap seems much smaller than the one found on c . asellus , although more flexible when compared to c . psittacus .
the presence of dermal flaps across the chin is another character used by [ 46 ] to distinguish c . asellus from c . psittacus . no dermal flaps could be seen in the examined specimens from the tocantins river , although they are always present in examined specimens from iquitos and belém .
a ) left photograph of the head ; b ) anatomical interpretations . abbreviations : ang , angular ; art , articular ; boc , basioccipital ; brstgs , branchiostegals ; cl , cleithrum ; den , dentary ; epi , epiotic ; ethm , ethmoid ; exo , exoccipital ; fr , frontal ; hyo , hyomandibula ; ecptg , ectopterygoid ; mept , mesopterygoid ; mtptg , metapterygoid ; mx , maxilla ; op , opercle ; pal , palatine ; pcl . l / r , ventral post - cleithrum left and right ; pfr , prefrontal ; pmx , premaxilla ; pop , preopercle ; pro , prootic ; psph , parasphenoid ; pto , pterotic ; qua , quadrate ; r , radials ; scl , supracleithrum ; soc , supraocciptal ; sop , subopercle ; sphe , sphenotic ; sym , sympletic ; vo , vomer . scale bar equals 5 mm .
a ) top photograph of the head ; b ) anatomical interpretations . abbreviations : epi , epiotic ; ethm , ethmoid ; exo , exoccipital ; fr , frontal ; pal , palatine ; pfr , prefrontal ; pmx , premaxilla ; pto , pterotic ; scl , supracleithrum ; soc , supraocciptal ; sphe , sphenotic . scale bar equals 5 mm .
the parasphenoid is elongate and does not exhibit any developed dorsal flange ( figures 7 and 9 ) . the hyomandibula is roughly triangular and has a slender ventral region ; its wide head articulates dorsally with the sphenotics , and its upper posterior edge with the anterior end of the opercle ( figure 7 ) .
the palatine is wide and somewhat triangular , with a robust anterior process for the maxilla ( figure 7 ) . the maxilla is robust , with an anterodorsal region articulating with the premaxilla and a posterior expanded region , medially concave for muscle insertion . the ectopterygoid articulates dorsally with the palatine and ventrally with the anterodorsal border of the quadrate . the metapterygoid is wide and composes almost the entire ventral orbital region ( figure 7 ) . it articulates anteriorly with the mesopterygoid ( figure 7 ) , and with the posterior end of the large and triangular quadrate ( figure 7 ) . the quadrate exhibits a well - developed posteroventral spine articulating posteriorly with the slender symplectic ( figure 7 ) , and anteriorly with the articular . the articular is “l” shaped and articulates anteriorly with the robust dentary and ventrally with the small angular ( figure 7 ) .
five branchiostegal rays ( figure 7 ) are present and the branchial apparatus is strikingly similar in all the examined specimens ( figure 11 ) .
the pectoral girdle is robust and formed by a wide cleithrum , somewhat triangular and posteriorly expanded , articulating dorsally with the slender supracleithrum . the supracleithrum articulates ventrally with the two postcleithra ; a slender dorsal postcleithrum , followed by the posteriorly expanded ventral postcleithrum ( figure 7 ) . there are four radials and sixteen pectoral fin rays ( figure 7 ) .
the axial skeleton has 19 vertebrae . the dorsal fin originates between vertebrae 7–8 and has ten basal pterygiophores and ten fin rays ( figures 12 – 14 ) . the anal fin is located beneath the 9 th vertebra and has six basal pterygiophores and nine fin rays .
a ) left photograph of the unpaired fins and caudal endoskeleton ; b ) anatomical interpretations . abbreviations : e , epural ; h , dorsal hypural plate ; h - h , ventral hypural plate fused with the ural centrum ; phy , parhypural ; pu , pre - ural vertebrae ; pbd , dorsal - fin basal pterigiophores ; pba , anal - fin basal pterigiophores . scale bar equals 5 mm .
the caudal skeleton ( figure 12 ) has a wide ural centrum formed by the preural centrum 1 , the ural centrum , the ventral hypural plate , and the postero - dorsal expansion which articulates anteriorly with the almost triangular epural , and posteriorly with the dorsal hypural plate ( figure 12 ) . eleven caudal fin rays , five dorsal and six ventral , are present in all of the specimens , both the uppermost and the two lowermost rays are unbranched .
it was recently proposed [ 55 ] , based on the distribution of characiforms , that recent marine incursions would have isolated fish populations in upland terrains or refuges , where lineage divergence is maximized , followed by dispersal episodes back to the lowlands . the “museum hypothesis” predicts that lowlands exhibit a higher number of species , but lower levels of endemism , than highlands , and that the upland refuges would represent areas of high endemism .
looking on the molecular phylogeny of the serrasalmids pygocentrus and serrasalmus , [ 56 ] proposed a phylogenetic test which predicts that basal lineages in a phylogeny of widespread fishes would occur in highland areas , and lowland lineages would have originated only during the last 5 ma . additionally , [ 57 ] studying the genetics of symphysodon cichlids , indicated the effects that marine incursions would have in population structure , stating that populations in upland terrains or refuges would exhibit reduced genetic variation , while populations in lowlands would represent multiple upland sources , therefore exhibiting a high level of genetic variation , and that populations in lowlands would show a demographic pattern of expansion .
our results recovered the upper tocantins lineages in a basal position in relation to all the remaining specimens , with the sequences being collapsed in uniquely two haplotypes ( figure 5 ) , the first one ( h1 ) , represented by eight sequences , and the second haplotype ( h2 ) , represented by a unique sequence . this suggests low genetic variation , at least among the studied sampling , and a history initially related with the eastern amazon , followed by a subsequently expansion to the western south america .
the tocantins - araguaia drainage is the fourth largest brazilian drainage , draining part of the northern end of the brazilian shield directly to the eastern end of the amazon basin . it exhibits a recent geomorphological history , within a still tectonically active sedimentary basin with recent subsidence episodes , which are related with the high load of sediments observed within the basin , leading the development of the bananal plain , in the lower part of the drainage , mainly during the quaternary [ 58 ] – [ 59 ] .
finally , our results reinforce the upper tocantins drainage as an area of high endemism within the tocantins - araguaia drainage , although the composite nature of the entire drainage is unquestionable .
we would like to thank dr . james c . tyler ( smithsonian institution , washington ) for his support and helpfull comments on the manuscript . we are also grateful to dr . francesco santini ( universitá degli studi di torino ) , dr . dorothée huchon ( tel aviv university ) , and an anonymous reviewer for the valuable suggestions during the review of the manuscript , dr . leonor gusmão and dr . antonio amorim ( universidade do porto ) for the comments during the initial discussion of the results , yuri modesto ( universidade do estado do rio de janeiro ) for the specimens from the tocantins drainage , lúcio paulo machado and diogo de mayrink ( universidade do estado do rio de janeiro ) for the specimens from iquitos ; ms . sandra raredon ( smithsonian institution , washington ) for the x - rays of tetraodontids , dr . richard pyle ( hawaii biological survey ) for the lsid numbers , and kleyton m . c . severiano and anna carolina chaves ( universidade do estado do rio de janeiro ) for the technical assistance .


the comet or marine betta ( calloplesiops altivelis ) is a species of reef-associated tropical marine fish in the longfin family plesiopidae , most commonly found between 3 and 50 m deep .

it is native to the indo-pacific ocean .

it can reach a maximum length of 20 cm .

comet ( fish )

hybridization ( fish ) , to specifically label dna sequences of interest . comet - fish exists in two versions , based on the neutral and the alkaline comet assays . a detailed description of the comet assay is given in
identification : any goldfish with the characteristic comet tail is classed as a comet , be it metallic orange , red and white or calico .
i have a beautiful white comet / koi fish that i immediately removed from the tank where it was attacked by one of the other fish - possibly a tin foil barb - in the tank . the comet / koi is recovering but i ' m worried about the eyes of this fish ; it seems the tin foil barb bit / destroyed the eyes of the comet / koi fish . can the comet / koi fish ' s eyes grow back ? it ' s such a beautiful fish ! ! !
comet - fish with strand - specific probes reveals transcription - coupled repair of 8 - oxoguanine in human cells .
fish tank care . guide to fish care with a simple look at aquarium filtration , how to clean a fish tank , and a fish tank maintenance schedule .
one key to successful comet husbandry is to provide plenty of suitable caves and crevices for this fish to hide in .
popular is the red and white pond fish known as sarasa comet . having deep red and pure white coloration , they are attractive , hardy and large fish .
, 15 years as a serious fish keeper , with 3 tanks and 15 fish .
i started a fish aquarium with 5 gold comet fish in a 10 gallon aquarium filled with tap water and a filter , but they died with in an hour . how do i start a fish aquarium ?
hi , i have one moor gold fish and one comet goldfish , can i know the best way to breed them .
the adult comet is a sight to behold ! not only is it beautiful , it is also a durable aquarium fish .
i started a fish aquarium with 5 gold comet fish in a 10 gallon aquarium filled with tap water and a filter , but they died with in an hour . how do i start a fish aquarium ? - quora
i have two comet fish . can someone tell me how to give care to them ? and when they will give babies etc ?
comet - fish with strand - specific probes reveals transcription - coupled repair of 8 - oxoguanine in human cells . - pubmed - ncbi
if you have any additional information about the comet grouper please leave us a comment below .
the correct comet tail should be forked and well spread , and not droop or overlap .
as long as the pellets are for fish , it should be ok . you should not feed anything to your fish that is not fish food .
betta fish care infographic , a handy cheat sheet that will benefit any keepers of siamese fighting fish .
the comet is the most popular coldwater fish and will be found in many ponds and aquariums across australia , its ability to adapt to a variety of water temperatures makes it a wonderful pond fish .
boumis , robert .
care instructions for comet goldfish
accessed july 09 , 2018 . urltoken
just for starters , you had way too many fish in an aquarium of that size . “gold comet fish” are goldfish . they need a minimum of 8 gallons of water per fish . they don ' t stay little , they can grow fairly large .
does the fish look sick at all ? they often exhibit that behavior when one of the fish are sick .
other types of comet goldfish include the sarasa comet . this variety has long flowing fins and is characterized by a red - and - white coloration that holds a resemblance to a koi color pattern called ' kohaku . ' the tancho single - tail comet is a silver variety with a red patch on its head .
although these fish are very durable , comet keeping is not without some drawbacks . when initially introduced into an aquarium , these fish are very shy . your new comet may hide for a week or more before you even catch a fleeting glimpse of it . their timid nature can present a problem when feeding time rolls around , especially when included in a tank with more aggressive tankmates . the comet is a rather meticulous stalking predator . if it is with fish that quickly dash in and ingest introduced food , the comet may never have a chance to fill its belly . this can be particularly problematic if the comet is kept in a tank that lacks live substrate ( more on this later ) .
other types of comet include the sarasa comet . this variety has long flowing fins and is characterized by a red - and - white coloration that holds a resemblance to a koi color pattern called ' kohaku . ' additionally , the tancho single - tail comet is a silver variety with a red patch on its head .
the comet is an incredibly hardy aquarium fish . i have had several individuals that survived otherwise total tank wipe outs caused by parasitic infections . in fact , i have yet to see a comet with a severe case of saltwater ich ( cryptocaryon irritans ) , even in aquaria where every other fish was covered with cysts !
the comet goldfish is also called the comet - tail goldfish or pond comet . this fish was the first variety of single - tail goldfish to be developed with a long caudal ( tail ) fin . it was developed in the united states from the common goldfish in the early 19th century , presumably by hugo mullert of philadelphia , who then introduced them in quantity into the market .
boumis , robert .
care instructions for comet goldfish .
animals - urltoken , http : / / animals . urltoken / care - instructions - comet - goldfish - 4397 . html . accessed 09 july 2018 .
being a further development of the common goldfish , the comet is sometimes confused for its close relative . the comet goldfish and common goldfish have an almost identical body shape . however , the fins on the comet goldfish are much longer , especially the caudal ( tail ) fin . its caudal fin is also more deeply forked . on both these fish , the caudal fin is held fully erect .
peaceful - although rarely aggressive , comet goldfish are very active and might annoy tankmates that prefer a peaceful environment .
boumis , robert . ( n . d . ) . care instructions for comet goldfish . animals - urltoken . retrieved from http : / / animals . urltoken / care - instructions - comet - goldfish - 4397 . html
comets have few options in terms of tank mates . most fish sold at pet shops are tropical fish , which require warmer water than goldfish . thus , either the goldfish will be stressed from increased temperature or the tropical fish will get stressed from the low temperature . however , any temperate - water fish that will not pick on a comet can share a tank or pond . koi may work , so long as they are not large enough to eat the comet .
i just got 2 comet fish 2 days ago and right now they are in a 1 gallon fish bowl . they are small right now but i know they will get bigger . what size tank should i . . . ( more ) anonymous
i just got 2 comet fish 2 days ago and right now they are in a 1 gallon fish bowl . they are small right now but i know they will get bigger . what size tank should i get so that they can grow bigger ? and i also want to add more fish with them . what ' s some good options of different fish to add ?
the comet acts as a predator on smaller fish and crustaceans in the reef environment ( field and field , 1998 ) . it also serves as a source of food for larger predators .
cotelle , s . and ferard , j . f . ( 1999 ) comet assay in genetic ecotoxicology : a review .
– is your fish big enough to eat pellets ? some pellets can be too big to fit in the mouths of young fish .
one of the hardiest of the goldfish varieties , comet goldfish are recommended for beginners . they are an easy fish to keep as they are not picky and will readily eat what is offered .
menke , m . , angelis , k . j . , and schubert , i . ( 2000 ) detection of specific dna lesions by a combination of comet assay and fish in plants .
for juveniles a general rule of thumb is 1 inch of fish ( 2 . 54 cm ) per 1 gallon of water . however , this rule only applies to young fish . larger gold fish consume much more oxygen than young fish so maintaining this formula for growing fish will stunt them and could contribute to disease and even death .
my comet goldfish , pam , looking good in her tank at night . she comes to the surface for a quick snack .
the comet has been successfully bred and raised in captivity ( this little beauty is from c - quest in puerto rico ) . note that there are larger and fewer spots on this juvenile fish .
welcome to the fish index ! we are maintaining a growing encyclopedia of fish species listed from a - z ! choose from our categories or browse the fish featured along the sides by clicking their pictures . each fish includes detailed information , pictures , video and user comments ! with over 30 , 000 different species in the world , our team of fish experts are constantly being challenged to discover new species . sample
the fish of the day
or browse our impressive selection of aquarium fish !
my parents are looking to get some comet goldfish to put in their small pond outside . what are the first steps to take ?
i want to have 3 comet goldfish . do i need a filter as well as the pump ? and is that enough space ?
hi i have a pond with one red comet and 2 koi . the red comet seems to have become really fat the past 3 days it has not come up to eat iether . could it be laying eggs and if so can those eggs get fertilised by the koi ?
, so readers who are not familiar with this technique can work directly with the protocol described here , without referring to additional protocols reported elsewhere . the neutral version of the comet assay detects double - strand breaks , while the alkaline version detects both double - and single - strand breaks as well as abasic sites or sites of incomplete repair . this chapter also details cell preparation and production of the hybridization probes adapted to the comet - fish technique . finally , microscopic analysis of comet - fish results is described , and possible procedures of quantification of the specific dna damage are presented .
the comet - fish technique described in this protocol is a tool to detect genome region - specific dna damage and repair . it is a combination of two established techniques , the comet assay ( or single - cell gel electrophoresis , or the single - cell gel test ) , to separate highly fragmented from moderately or nonfragmented dna and to measure it , and fluorescence
i am going to get a couple of comet goldfish and could they live without a bubbler / filter ? i have not enough for one .
the adult size of the comet goldfish is also smaller than the common goldfish . yet they are every bit as durable and can be kept in either an aquarium or outdoor pond . both fish are inexpensive and readily available .
hello dave . thanks for reaching out . in the world of fish , the goldfish and koi are probably the worst parental fish out there so the hiding is certainly not any protective measure by the fish . good luck ! - mike
with time and conditioning , your comet will spend more time in view . some individuals will even beg for food when you approach the aquarium . in general , a comet is more likely to spend time in the open in tanks with dim - lighting or when light levels are reduced ( this makes sense when you consider that they are nocturnal fish ) . but do not expect your comet to constantly swim about at the front of the aquarium and entertain your guests - this is not the nature of this beast .
sasaki , y . f . , sekihashi , k . , izumiyama , f . , et al . ( 2000 ) the comet assay with multiple mouse organs : comparison of comet assay results and carcinogenicity with 208 chemicals selected from the iarc monographs and u . s . ntp carcinogenicity database .
frieauff , w . , hartmann , a . , and suter , w . ( 2001 ) automatic analysis of slides processed in the comet assay .
baez , j . 1998 . breeding the marine comet : a challenge for the best . sea scope 15 ( summer ) : 1 , 3 .
looking for medaka rice fish . what ever species you may have for sale .
when first acquired , the comet will usually only eat live food . try adding feeder mollies , guppies , ghost shrimp , or brine shrimp to entice you comet . if this does not elicit a feeding response try dimming the lights and then adding the food . acquaint yourself with your comet ' s preferred hide outs and attempt to present the food near these areas . although these fish may only accept live food at first , they can be weaned onto frozen preparations ( e . g . , lifeline foods ) , frozen mysid shrimp , and chopped seafoods . one way to dupe your comet into accepting these substitutes is to place the food in the current produced by a water pump .
hi , i have a white comet about 10 cm . long it started changing into orange , is it normal chance of color or is sick ? ?
the comet is generally more reddish orange in color while the common goldfish is more orange . while the comet goldfish is typically a reddish orange , this fish is also available in yellow , orange , white , and red . they can also be found as a bi - color red / white combination , and occasionally they are available with nacreous ( pearly ) scales , giving them a variegated color .
geoff rogers , nick fletcher , focus on freshwater aquarium fish , firefly books . 2004
please , please , don ' t get anymore fish until you ' ve done the necessary research , and have aquired the proper equipment to maintain happy , healthy fish .
rapp , a . , bock , c . , dittmar , h . , and greulich , k . o . ( 1999 ) comet - fish used to detect uv - a sensitive regions in the whole human genome and on chromosome 8 .
keep watch over the relationship between your goldfish and any other tank mates . some species of fish are much more aggressive than others , and your goldfish may become victim to other fish in the tank . goldfish , unlike other families of fish , should actually be kept in goldfish - only tanks rather than mixed with tropicals or other types of fish .
unfortunately , that is too small for comet goldfish . i would recommend going with mosquitofish or rosy red minnows . the goldfish will outgrow that size within a season .
when it is threatened , the comet often enters a crevice headfirst , leaving its tail exposed . the tail is thought to mimic the head of a moray eel .
the comet is an incredibly hardy aquarium fish . i have had several individuals that survived otherwise total tank wipe outs caused by parasitic infections . in fact , i have yet to see a comet with a severe case of saltwater ich ( cryptocaryon irritans ) , even in aquaria where every other fish was covered with cysts ! during attempts to extract several of these fish from aquariums , i have had them tear their fins up and scales off after they wedged themselves between pieces of live rock . these wounds healed quickly without any signs of bacterial infection . yes , i am convinced these fish are almost indestructible ! the only malady i have seen comet’s suffering from , and only on rare occasions , is lateral line and fin erosion . this can typically be prevented or even reversed by feeding a varied diet , soaking the fish’s food in selco or by using a ecosystem filtration system ( a . k . a . miracle mud filter ) .
the comet goldfish is one of the oldest and best known variants of the common goldfish . it was first bred in the late 1800’s in the united states , and has since become one of the best known and most widespread fish in the aquarium hobby .
i have one comet goldfish and would like to get another – but all the ones i see at the pet store are much smaller – i’m afraid it will be attacked . is that a misconception or should i keep looking for a similarly sized fish ?
david alderton , encyclopedia of aquarium and pond fish , dk publishing , inc . , 2005
price : £1 each upwards , though a lot more for larger and high quality fish .
rapp , a . , bock , c , dittmar , h . , and greulich , k . o . ( 2000 ) uv - a breakage sensitivity of human chromosomes as measured by comet - fish depends on gene density and not on the chromosome size .
bocker , w . , bauch , t . , muller , w . u . , and streffer , c . ( 1997 ) image analysis of comet assay measurements .
fairbairn , d . w . , olive , p . l . , and o’neill , k . l . ( 1995 ) the comet assay : a comprehensive review .
rapp a . , hausmann m . , greulich k . o . ( 2005 ) the comet - fish technique . in : keohavong p . , grant s . g . ( eds ) molecular toxicology protocols . methods in molecular biology™ , vol 291 . humana press
hi mike i have a 40 litre fish tank with 4 lion head gold fish . have noticed the water becoming very murky there was a bit of aggression over the one fish at one point and now this particular fish continues to lay still on the floor of the tank and every now and then swims quickly to the surface and settles back down on the floor . the other fish are now quite sedate and swim around normally . is this a sign of spawning ?
wassink , h . 1990 . a successful cultivation of the comet calloplesiops altivelis ( steindachner , 1903 ) . sea scope 7 ( spring ) : 1 , 2 , 3 .
hello . i have a question . i have two comet goldfish , both are orange . one of them , is chasing the other around my tank should i be concerned with this behaviour ? i’ve been told that they can attack other fish but i’m not entirely sure .
common goldfish , comet crosses , 5 to 8 cm babies , straight from the pond . the olive coloured youngsters will still colour up to orange or gold . these fish grow large ! only to pond owners please ! contact doerte via whatsapp 0846589928 or email sacrebleurabbits @ urltoken
there ' s so much you need to learn before a second attempt . please , please don ' t try keeping fish again until you ' ve learned the very basics of fish care .
small fish tankmates are also at some risk when introduced in with a resident comet . i had a large individual that persistently stalked small dottybacks and shrimp gobies . fortunately , it never succeeded in capturing either of its more diminutive tankmates . usually comets are a minimal danger to piscine tankmates that are established residents . however , any fish that can be ingested is potential prey .
like most cold - water fish , comet goldfish require a trigger to start spawning . the easiest way to do this is to lower the temperature for a period of around one month , and to reduce the light period to less than 8 hours a day for the tank .
bock , c . , monajembashi , s . , rapp , a . , dittmar , h . , and greulich , k . o . ( 1999 ) localisation of specific sequences and dna single strand breaks in individual uv - a irradiated human lymphocytes observed by comet fish .
aquarium industries has been supplying live aquarium fish since 1968 and we are proud to house australia ' s largest range of freshwater and marine aquarium fish . we also provide a range of fresh and frozen food products for reptiles , turtles and fish . click here to find out more about aquarium industries .
collins , a . , dusinska , m . , franklin , m . , et al . ( 1997 ) comet assay in human biomonitoring studies : reliability , validation , and applications .
take the dead fish out . leave the filter running for a few days . then , change 50 % of the water and get some new fish . change 50 % of the water once a week . done ! eventually every fish in an aquarium will die - besides swim its what they do !
the comet is found throughout the indo - west pacific . in australia it is found around north - western coast of western australia , western northern territory and the great barrier reef , queensland .
speit , g . and hartmann , a . ( 1999 ) the comet assay ( single - cell gel test ) . a sensitive genotoxicity test for the detection of dna damage and repair .
a good rule of thumb is one inch of fish per square foot of pond surface area . so you may have to do a little bit of math to figure out how many fish you can have . it’s also a good idea to use the maximum size as a guideline , and not the size the fish currently are . with the massive size of comet goldfish though , you’re not going to be able to have a lot . probably somewhere in the neighbourhood of a half dozen or slightly more .
good quality young comet goldfish for sale colours : bronze , red , white , yellow and combinations 1cm : 50 for r100 2 - 3cm : 50 for r250 4 - 5cm : 20 for r150 5 - 7cm fully coloured : 10 for r100 all fish are randomly selected and sold per batch .
getting comet goldfish to accept food is not difficult – they will eat nearly anything that will fit in their mouth . with that being said , feeding them properly is what can be more difficult .
angelis , k . j . , mcguffie , m . , menke , m . , and schubert , i . ( 2000 ) adaptation to alkylation damage in dna measured by the comet assay .
weekly - goldfish produce more waste than most other freshwater fish and benefit greatly from more frequent water changes .
unfortunately goldfish tend to get aggressive with each other and start nipping at other fish when they are stressed .
thank you for this info . had a pond over 10 years and never seen this activity . i was pretty worried about 1 fish beaching itself in the weed then getting good trapped beaten bitten poked etc by another one and then sandwiched between two fish literally squashing it . i now know it’s a lady fish being attacked by the bad guys . is it usual for lady fish to be catatonic like state for a while ?
mixed koi for sale - 12 to 32 cmonly 22 fish left in stock and best prices offered . red comet goldfish x 5 available - 15 to 25 cm . whatsapp stefan on - 074 311 9962based in amanzimtoticontact me for your aquaponics related species as well , i breed and supply hybrid o . m .
hey i’m building a aquaponics system for my classroom , and i was wondering what plant would be a good choice to balance life between the comet goldfish and the plant , and keep them both alive .
i think you could probably get away with 40 gallons , but 29 is too small for a comet goldfish . the water is very difficult to keep clean and you usually end up with some stunting .
if both fish are healthy , it could be that the goldfish are competing for space . they tend to get very aggressive when the tanks are too small for them , and they’re trying to drive the other fish so they can get more space – but there’s no where for the other fish to go in the aquarium .
because of its extremely prolific nature , comet goldfish are usually sold for mere pennies and can often be found in crowded feeder tanks or in tiny prize bags at fairs and carnivals . these terrible conditions lead to shortened life - spans , and often result in the fish suffering from any number of parasites and diseases .
notes : comets are now the world’s most common goldfish variety , as many standard single - tail goldfish we buy for tanks and ponds have an elongated , comet tail . they are large fish , regularly reaching 30cm / 12” in length , and so are best kept in filtered outdoor ponds or very large aquaria .
the comet is a wide - ranging species , having been reported from the red sea east to the line islands , north to southern japan and south to the great barrier reef and tonga . it is a medium - sized fish , attaining a maximum length of 20 cm ( 7 . 9 in . ) .
a goldfish personality can vary from fish to fish . i have owned timid goldfish as well as some very outgoing . let me tell you this : goldfish are typically non aggressive to goldfish or any other fish , but as weird as it sounds they love to eat their own eggs if these are not removed from the aquarium .
olive , p . l . and banath , j . p . ( 1995 ) radiation - induced dna double - strand breaks produced in histone - depleted tumor cell nuclei measured using the neutral comet assay .
if the fish lived a few days to a few weeks it could be diseases or or ammonia build ups .
the comet goldfish was the first variety of the single - tail goldfish to be developed with a long caudal ( tail ) fin . it was developed in the united states from the common goldfish in the early 19th century , presumably by hugo mullert of philadelphia , who then introduced them in quantity into the market . the comet goldfish is one of more than 125 captive - bred varieties of goldfish that have been developed .
goldfish food contains less protein and more carbohydrates than other fish food ( such as tropical fish food ) . manufacturers of goldfish food have produced food with the specific dietary requirements of goldfish in mind , so you shouldn’t just pick up a tub of generic “fish food” . your goldfish need to eat proper goldfish food that meets their specific needs .
adding some high quality foods to their diet can also help to condition the comet goldfish for breeding , and frozen or live foods should be fed daily in addition to the usual vegetables and herbivore flakes and pellets .
tice , r . r . , agurell , e . , anderson , d . , et al . ( 2000 ) single cell gel / comet assay : guidelines for in vitro and in vivo genetic toxicology testing .
but if you can find a healthy comet goldfish , they can grow up to 13 inches in length , with some being reported much larger . they will also live up to 15 years if provided with a proper housing and food – a far cry from the month or two that most will survive when kept in cramped fish bowl .
fish finder search our database for compatible pets ! enter characteristics of what you are looking for and find them instantly .
shrimp and worms from the pet store will live longer than their wild counterparts before you feed them to your fish .
automatic fish feeders are also available . visit your local pet store to learn more about these feeders . [ 17 ]
mind . i now know a lot of dos and don ' ts . thanks , what an interesting fish !
if the fish don ' t have enough oxygen in the water ( no air pump , or too small an air pump , or too many fish ) , they ' ll gasp at the surface like they are trying to feed .
buy a bigger pump and make sure you ' re diffusing enough of the oxygen for the fish to use it .
hello , we had ducks in our pond and bought 10 feeder gold fish to see if the ducks liked them . they didn’t ? ? ? ? . that was last summer . now we have … . umh maybe 150 mixed colored gold fish . not sure what to do now , but i have been feeding the fish since the water temp reached 50 degrees . my husband’s now laughs cause i chase the ducks out of the pond so they don’t eat the fish .
since comet goldfish require coldwater , they should never be kept with tropical fish , as the tank will either be too warm for the goldfish , or too cold for the tropical fish . some good tank mates are gold barbs , dojo loaches and some people have had success with zebra danios . but the danios will nip at the goldfish if they aren’t kept in a school of at least six , and some are nippers regardless , so add danios with caution .
the comet is a dark brown or black coloured fish with many small white or pale blue spots . it has an eye shaped spot at the base of the last 3 rays of the dorsal fin . the tail is diamond shaped . the comet is nocturnal and hides in rock crevices during the day . when disturbed it darts head first into the coral , leaving the back end of the body exposed . the false eye on the dorsal fin and the pointed tail give it the appearance of a moray eel . the fins are dark orange - brown , with small blue spots .
mccosker , j . 1977 . fright posture of the plesiopid fish * calloplesiops altivelis * : an example of batesian mimicry .
as for the algae there isn’t many rocks and a smallish - medium plant and some lily pads . the fake owl is a good idea – but the fish come up to eat the floating food – won’t that scare the fish to eat ?
also your fish is very large i hope he is in a large tank . about 60 gallon tank or a pond .
avoid fish with blood visible in fins as this may be a result of poor water quality and / or poor health .
it is never a pleasant experience to look in one’s goldfish tank after finally perfecting the water quality , watching that last bout of illness disappear and becoming attached to a beautiful fish only to find them tearing at the other fish’s fins , pursuing the others around the tank , and generally wreaking havoc . observing a hostile fish in action is always sure to cause feelings of frustration and helplessness as a fish keeper . while goldfish are by far one of the most peaceful fish to keep and are generally good tempered , there are sometimes situations that will arise due to various fluctuations in its environment or other contributing factors .
but , it could be temperature difference and failure to acclimate the fish , or it could be a vastly different ph too . fish will dart around a lot too if the ph is vastly different ( it ' s irritating their skin ) .
i ' m thinking of buying an aquarium and gold fish . about how much should a small aquarium in delhi cost ?
this fish exhibits a series of unique motor patterns when stalking its prey . when it hunts benthic prey , it tips its body forward , erects its huge pelvic fins , and curls its tail to one side . the comet then propels itself towards its potential victim by undulating the pectoral fins . this hunting behavior appears awkward and conspicuous to the human observer , but it may be that this exaggerated approach distracts the comet ' s victim and the extended pelvics and laterally directed tail form a barrier to impede the prey items escape ( similar in function to the lionfish’s enlarged pectoral fins ) .
goldfish can become incredibly contentious when a sick or injured fish is displaying signs of weakness and ruthlessly attack such a fish , sometimes even banding together to tear at the fins and pursue the sick fish around the tank . this behavior is a very natural response and is nature’s way of trying to protect the other fish in the community from coming down with the problem . putting the ailing goldfish in a quarantine tank is the best way to prevent it from getting stressed or killed . it is also much easier to treat such a fish in a smaller volume of water where the others will not be able to harm it .
setting up a saltwater aquarium . guide to marine supplies , putting the aquarium together , cycling the aquarium water and adding fish !
you shouldn ' t put fish in until the tank has cycled like this and the other factors above are taken care of .
comet - fish with strand - specific probes . ( a ) after dna - damaging treatment , cells are lysed , incubated with endonucleases or glycosylases and subjected to electrophoresis . hybridization of strand - specific probes to the termini of the dna segments of interest permits the quantification of tcr ; staining the bulk of the dna allows the analysis of ggr . ( b ) schematic representation of comet - fish . adjacent green and red probe signals indicate an intact dna strand with no lesions within the segment ; separated green and red probe signals suggest a damaged dna strand with a lesion within the segment . representative comet - fish images of a cell damaged with uv showing ( c ) the bulk dna stained with dapi , ( d ) alexa 488 - labeled probes targeting the 3′ regions of the transcribed atm strands , ( e ) alexa 594 - labeled probes targeting the 5′ regions of the transcribed atm strands and ( f ) an overlay of c , d and e ( scale bars , 5 µm ) ; ( g ) , ( h ) and ( i ) show enlargements of the probes signals from panel f .
some breeds of fish can be more aggressive than others . the ryukin goldfish has a more pointed head shape than other varieties , equipping them to more effectively pick on others . such fish should not be housed with more docile ones , such as the telescope eye , lest the former prevent the delicate fish from getting their share of food and attempt to assert its dominance through physical means .
fifteen gallons is the absolute minimum required to house a comet goldfish . it ' s best to start with a 20 - 30 gallon tank for your first goldfish and then increase the size of the tank by 10 gallons for each additional goldfish . providing a large amount of water per fish will help dilute the amount of waste and reduce the number of water changes needed .
breeding comet goldfish in the home aquarium is difficult and should generally only be done in outdoor ponds . if you do plan on breeding them in an aquarium , then a separate tank must be set up to separate the parents from the eggs .
it depends on your filtering system , but in general , the water will become clogged with by - products of the fish digestion , including ammonia , which can lead to bacteria and algae overgrowth and the fish will become sick . if there is no filter , the fish will die . the recommendation is to change 1 / 4 of the water once a week for tanks with filtration system .
most fancy goldfish will thrive in both freshwater and tropical aquariums as long as there are no aggressive or territorial fish in the tank . some good tankmates for fancy goldfish are the chinese blue bitterling and the northern redbelly dace . comet goldfish can be kept with other varieties of elongated goldfish , such as the common goldfish and the shubunkin , and they also do fine with koi .
i would recommend feeding the fish lightly boiled and shelled peas for the next few days . quite often , this will fix a swim bladder problem in fish . i would also try more vegetables like zucchini in its diet for to help it clear out its system .
having trouble with your fish ? ask a professional veterinarian and get answers in minutes . use the box below to start the conversation .
hello joe . sorry to hear about the fish loss . its hard for me to say why the fish have died since there are lots of possible reasons for fish to die , especially in spawning season . females will typically die from stress and exhaustion since the males are relentless during spawning time . i wish i could give you a better answer but i’m missing information ! good luck . - mike
is a relatively shy fish and during the day is primarily found dwelling in reefs and caves , yet has been spotted showing activity in poorly lit areas ( field and field , 1998 ; randall , 1986 ) . beginning at twilight and throughout the night the fish is active in its search for food ( field and field , 1998 ) . the comet is a stalking predator that often approaches its prey with a sideways swim using the pectoral fins . when close enough it will lunge forward ( michael , 2002 ) .
the comet goldfish can grow up to a foot long . in light of this , they need a larger aquarium . a 55 gallon aquarium will accommodate them , though ponds work best . in either a pond or an aquarium , plants are important . plants provide cover , which makes the fish feel safe . live plants also provide a bit of a meal , as goldfish are known to nibble on them for extra nutrition . temperate fish comets do not require additional heating in most of the united states and europe .
the stocking level of the pond is critical to the health of your fish . too many fish leads to decreased oxygen levels and the extra fish waste leads to ammonia and nitrite build - up . to a certain degree , your fish load can vary based on your level of filtration . a pond with an undersized filter will not be able to keep as many fish , while an oversized filter will allow you a few extra fish . with an average - sized filter , your preferred stocking level will be based on surface area of the pond . for goldfish you can keep one average size fish for every 3 - 4 square feet of surface area . for koi , it should be limited to one fish for every 10 square feet of surface area . for example ; a 10 x 10 pond will have a surface area of 100 square feet ( assuming that it is a perfect rectangle ) . with an average filter this pond could house up to 30 goldfish or 10 koi . of course , keeping fewer than this would make keeping good water quality even easier .
comet goldfish are some of the hardier species of goldfish . they are very undemanding of water quality and temperature . they can do well in a goldfish aquarium or even a pond as long as the environment is safe and their tankmates are not competitive .
hi traci . yes , try to catch them if you’d like to tank raise them , otherwise just let them be . most baby fish will probably need to be around a full inch or so before the bigger fish may ignore them as a possible snack . – mike
4 . 0 inches ( 10 . 16 cm ) - comet goldfish housed in small aquariums will have stunted growth that will limit their size to four inches . in larger aquariums , they will reach about eight inches and up to twelve in a pond .
centuries of selective breeding have produced a huge amount of variation in goldfish . one variety is the comet . this goldfish has a slender body , with long , flowing fins and a forked tail fin . they are not as inbred as many variates of fancy goldfish , so they are more robust fish . while they are hardier than some goldfish , they also grow larger and require more space .
very helpful , the instructions are very clear and easy to understand . now i know how and what to feed my fish .
ashby , j . , tinwell , h . , lefevre , p . a . , and browne , m . a . ( 1995 ) the single cell gel electrophoresis assay for induced dna damage ( comet assay ) : measurement of tail length and moment .
hi ! i have around a 4400 litre pond outdoors – we currently have 1 9yo large comet in it with a smaller fish which i’m not sure of the breed , would you be able to tell me how many we could have . i’ve found over the years that a lot of fish tend to eat them , which is a bit annoying but i guess that’s nature ! so , i guess any tips for training the fish to avoid the birds or should i just leave them to learn to be quick ? also – one other question , how clear should the pond be ? we change the water well , but it’s really quite green – we tried algae remover by the way !
hello mike , i live in orlando , florida and i think i have some comet goldfish fry in my backyard pond . generally , i would go outside to see the pond everyday but lately , i had been busy and hadn’t seen it for about 3 days . i came back and the water did smell a bit fishy and i saw little fry looking things . i also saw some black dots on plants that were submerged in the water . also , i see that the adult comets seem kind of isolated , under the waterfall and not swimming around / being as energetic in a school as they used to . do you think my comet gold fish may have spawned ?
here is a video of my comet goldfish , awaiting new home and bigger filter . . ive had them for nearly 2 years and there great fish with there own unique characters . . i also have 2 recent additions , a pair of hong kong plecos called waldorf & statler . they are quite shy just now , but will upload a video of them when the new aquarium is up and running . .
in his book aquarium care of goldfish , david boruchowitz states , “a fish without food for a week is just hungry , not starved . ”
, the white - spotted moray eel , which is much more dangerous to the would - be predators , and they often leave the comet alone ( froese and pauly , 2002 ; michael , 2002 ; randall , 1997 ; randall , 1986 ; wood , 1945 ) .
the comet ' s eye - spots might also serve another function . because many predators go for the head in order to incapacitate their prey , the eye - spots on the posterior part of the body may serve to deflect such attacks to the less vulnerable tail region .
please visit urltoken for aquarium and fish information as well as information on breeding fish . thank you for viewing my video . please don ' t forget to subscribe to my channel for tons of aquarium information . here are some products that i love and use . if your looking to set up a tank come view this equipment . fluval fx6 filter : urltoken fluval fx4 filter : urltoken finnex titanium heater : urltoken northfin fish food krill : urltoken prime water conditioner : urltoken hydor powerhead : urltoken digital thermometer : urltoken current usa led light : urltoken floramax substrate : urltoken floramax light : urltoken fluval co2 system : urltoken aquaclear 50 : urltoken industrial air pump : urltoken check out urltoken it ' s like a magazine subscription you can use . sign up for your box today ! ! learn how to breed comet goldfish . learn what to look for when looking to get a male and female goldfish . comet goldfish can be easy as long as given the right age and size . urltoken
goldfish are a cold water fish and will do best at temperatures between 65 - 72° f ( 18° - 22° c ) . the comet goldfish are one of the most hardy varieties and can tolerate temperatures a few degrees above freezing , as long as the cooling drops only a few degrees a day . a quick temperature drop can kill them , so if you live in a very cold climate , a heater is advisable .
it may take a bit of time , but you could take individual fish out of the tank and into a smaller container to feed them separately .
an overcrowded tank can cause goldfish to become more edgy and feel as if they have to compete for space . check to make sure the water volume is sufficient to sustain the amount of fish in the tank . the general rule of thumb is 20 gallons of water for the first fish , then 10 gallons for each additional fish . if the tank is too small it would be in the fishes’ best interest to upgrade , both for their health and the aquarist’s nerves . goldfish may also develop aggressive behavior when a new fish is introduced into the tank and disrupts the “balance” of the social hierarchy .
goldfish are a species of a carp , and while they won’t grow to the same monstrous size in the photo , they can grow absolutely huge in an outdoor pond . and comet goldfish are the same as common goldfish , with the exception of the tail shape and other minor differences .
to line breed for finnage and colour these fish must be selected and culled where necessary to prevent them reverting back to olive green , wild type goldfish .
goldfish are fairly social fish , and are also credited with the ability to learn by association . unless they are in competition with each other for food , even goldfish of different sizes and ages will rarely behave aggressively towards each other , and will come to recognize the other fish in their tank over time .
this happens when they are not eating well , don ' t have enough room to move about and it rarely happens to pick on other sick fish .
customer says : “hey my fish are fighting and it looks like mr . bubble may have fallen into my pond . the pond kinda smells a bit too…”
hello janice . your fish should have not problem carrying the eggs during winter months , but they may also “reabsorb” the eggs during those months . - mike
kuiter , r . h . and h . debelius . 1994 . southeast asia tropical fish guide . ikan , frankfurt , germany , pp . 321 .
determining what and how often to feed your fish depends primarily on water temperature . in warmer water ( 60 - 85 degrees ) the metabolism of the fish is high and they can be fed 2 - 4 times per day . at this time you should be feeding a food with a high protein level such as legacy variety mix . if the water rises to 90 degrees or above you should stop feeding . in spring and fall when your water temperatures fall to 50 - 60 degrees , you should reduce feeding to once every 1 - 2 days and feed a low protein food such as legacy cold weather food . when the temperatures drop to below 50 degrees stop feeding the fish . on warm days the fish may become active and
beg
for food . don ' t be fooled . stay strong and do not feed . if the fish do need a little food , they will find enough growing in the pond . the algae that coats the pond liner is all they need . these cold temperatures slow the metabolism of your fish and food will not be properly digested . it can take 3 - 4 days for the fish to digest the food . it ' s not worth the fish ' s life to give it food .