Amphiprion - Amphiprion

Amphiprions (Amphiprion) or "clown fish" are widely known in the marine aquarium hobby. Perhaps today we can say that this is the most popular of the saltwater aquarium fish. The fact of the symbiosis of these magnificent fish with marine coelenterates - sea anemones is well known. Brightly colored amphiprions (usually their color consists of white, black, yellow contrasting stripes and spots on a red, orange or golden background) constantly stay close to "their" sea anemones, not moving away from them for a long distance.

A small fish of the amphiprion genus became famous thanks to the Walt Disney film studio and their cartoon about the underwater inhabitant Nemo. After the release of the cartoon on the screens, this name became almost a household name in relation to the whole genus of amphiprion.
These fish are one of the most frequent inhabitants of marine aquariums. Depending on the type of fish, it may have a different color. because of bright colors amphiprions were nicknamed clown fish. Its main habitat is the Indo-Pacific basin.

When approached by a predator or other danger, they find shelter among the numerous tentacles surrounding the anemone's oral disc. These tentacles are known to be armed with stinging filaments - nematocysts and represent mortal danger for small fish.

This rather extensive genus ( various sources number from 12 to 28 species of amphiprions) belongs to the Pomacentridae family. Aquariums most often contain Amphiprion ocellaris, A. clarkii, A. perideraion, A. tridnctus, A. melanopus.
One or a pair of amphiprions maintains a permanent symbiosis with one or more anemones chosen by them as their “home”. Before the symbiosis of amphiprion and sea anemone develops, the so-called "acquaintance" occurs. Amphiprion slowly accustoms anemones to his society. The "acquaintance" lasts 2-3 minutes, and after that the sea anemone no longer shows any aggression towards the amphiprion. During this process, the fish perceives a protective substance that is formed in the anemone glands and enters directly into the stinging cells of the tentacles, and develops immunity to it. This substance also protects the anemones themselves from their own tentacles and, in addition, allows them to organize their territory. Clownfish mix this "chemical camouflage" with their own mucus, and anemone ceases to perceive them as a food object. Naturally, the chemical composition of amphiprion skin mucus becomes individual after such manipulations and changes depending on which sea anemone it is “friends with”. If fish are deprived of this protective film, they will immediately become easy prey for "their" anemone.

Amphiprions can be safely recommended to beginner marine aquarists as one of the easiest fish to keep. "Clownfish" are unpretentious in feeding, quickly eat up, do not spit out food, do not leave behind uneaten pieces that can spoil the water (they are eaten up by sea anemones). Amphiprion waste is minimal, so the water purification system may be somewhat easier than for other coral reef dwellers. Amphiprions are very picky in relation to the composition of the feed and eat almost everything edible that crawls into their mouths. Feed should be given in small quantities several times a day.

The popular opinion that the amphiprion specially feeds its sea anemones is rather from the realm of legends. This myth is caused by the feeding behavior of the amphiprion: having grabbed a piece of food, it immediately hides in an anemone, where it eats it. But those pieces that remain after his meal, what falls out of his mouth - goes to anemones. That is, feeding an anemone with a clownfish is an act rather unintentional. But this, of course, is all the same to sea anemones, and thus it also receives its benefit from symbiosis. Another benefit is that due to the movement of the amphiprions among the tentacles of the sea anemone, a current of water is created, removing detritus and secretions from its oral disk.
The type of sea anemone (and the diversity of these coelenterates on reefs is simply colossal) is also of no small importance for amphiprion. As a home, they prefer anemones from the group of giant anemones with long, thick, densely spaced tentacles, which are more convenient as hiding places.
It is interesting to watch fearless amphiprions in the arms of perhaps the most toxic of all anemones contained in aquariums - the green carpet anemone (Stichodactyla haddoni). This anemone is capable of killing even very large fish, but will never touch its amphiprion. The carpet anemone, unlike most other anemones, is capable of killing fish not only in direct contact with the tentacles, but also at a distance, throwing out its stinging cells at a distance of up to 10 cm. There are cases when a fish (even a rather large one) swam past the carpet anemone anemones at a considerable distance, within half an hour, died from the action of its stinging cells. A person, touching a carpet anemone, experiences a sensation akin to a nettle burn, but its poison does not pose any danger to a person. One of the few natural symbionts of carpet anemones are anemone crabs (Petrolisthes ohshimai, Neopetrolisthes maculatus and other closely related species). They, of course, like amphiprions, also prefer a less poisonous symbiont, however, the green carpet sea anemone is quite suitable for them as a place of residence.

If there is no sea anemone at all in an aquarium with amphiprions, they are able to choose to live in another sessile invertebrate, more or less similar to it, for example, hard coral - goniopora (Goniopora lobato) or mushroom-shaped leathery soft coral (Sarcophyton). Amphiprion ocellaris can even live in the folds of the mantle of a large bivalve mollusk - tridacna.

Amphiprions are hermaphrodites. In nature, a couple of adult fish and two or three small ones usually live in one sea anemone. The most big fish- the female next in size is an active male, while small fish do not have a specific sex. In the event of the death of the female, her place is taken by the male, who changes sex and quickly increases in size. One of the small fish becomes the active male. In the event of the death of an active male, one of the small fish also takes its place. This feature of amphiprions can be successfully used in aquarism: it is enough to put two individuals of different sizes into the aquarium, and over time you will get a male and a female. By the way, amphiprions are one of the few marine fish whose breeding has been successfully mastered by amateurs. In our country, amphiprions have been successfully bred for almost a quarter of a century. The pioneer of this business was the most famous specialist of the late 20th century, the author of the classic work "The Marine Aquarium at Home" Dmitry Nikolayevich Stepanov (see "Fish Breeding", 1985, No. 4). colored sand anemones from the genus Radianthus, amphiprions, as a rule, do not settle. Amphiprions also avoid symbiosis with Atlantic anemones, for example (Condylactis passiflora), proving the fact that the Atlantic is not a habitat for clown fish.
The content of amphiprions is not difficult. The density of the water should be about 1.022, and the salt content should be at the level of 34.5 r/l. Since clownfish and sea anemones are inhabitants of warm tropical seas, they prefer temperatures of 26-30°C. An aquarium with amphiprions should be provided with a high-quality biological filter. Soil - coral sand with a particle diameter of 3-5 mm, located in a layer with a thickness of at least 7 cm. The water flow from the filter outlet should be directed to sea anemone, which will create favorable conditions for it. In order for algae to grow well in the aquarium, you need strong lighting for 12-16 hours a day. At least once a month (and preferably weekly) it is necessary to replace 20-25% of the water with fresh artificially prepared sea water of the same composition, density and pH as the one in the aquarium. The aquarium should be kept clean, removing detritus from the ground with a siphon in time.
Often amphiprions are kept in marine aquariums of small and ultra-small volume - 150, 120, even 80-100 liters. However, we do not recommend this for beginners. Such a small aquarium, in comparison with a reef aquarium of a “traditional marine” volume (from 300-350 liters or more), requires more careful care and attention to oneself. Water parameters (temperature, salinity, pH, nitrogen content in various forms, macro- and microelements) in it easily shift in one direction or another from the norm, the balance in a small volume is unstable. However, if everything is done correctly, amphiprions will not experience any inconvenience in a small aquarium, and you and your children will be able to observe the most interesting behavior of the “Nemo fish” living in the anemone tentacles with pleasure.

Amphiprions

Brightly colored amphiprions are the "living jewels" of coral reefs. They swim among the sea anemones' stinging tentacles, which do not harm them.

Row- Perciformes
A family- pomaceous
Genus/Species- Amphiprion

Basic data:
DIMENSIONS
Length: depending on the species, 6-12 cm.

BREEDING
Spawning: in tropical waters throughout the year.
Caviar: a large number of.
Incubation period A: 4-5 days.

LIFESTYLE
Habits: keep in pairs; symbiosis with sea anemones.
Food: the remains of fish eaten by sea anemones.
Lifespan: 3-5 years.

RELATED SPECIES
The most common types of pomacentre are clown fish (Amfiprion percula), perch-like amphiprion (A. ocellaris), two-band amphiprion (A. bicinctus), pomacentre (Romacentrus coeruleus) and many others.

Amphiprions belong to a group of small, brightly colored fish called "corals." These coral reef dwellers have developed a special, rather dangerous, symbiotic relationship with stinging sea anemones.

Amphiprions live next to anemones and are in a symbiotic relationship with them. Sometimes they leave the safe tentacles of "their" anemone and go on a short journey across the coral reef. Yet, they never get far from their protector in that their bright coloring quickly attracts the attention of other fish, which begin to hunt them.

The fish, escaping from the pursuer, rushes "into the arms" to "its" sea anemone. The pursuer that swims after the escaped fish usually becomes a victim of an anemone, which immediately paralyzes him with its poison. Then the sea anemone digests the fish, and the amphiprion already feeds on the remnants of this prey.
In addition, amphiprions also eat planktonic crustaceans and algae growing on coral reefs. These fish clean the sea anemones of waste and debris, remove dead parts of the tentacles and other contaminants.

AMPHIPRIONS AND HUMANS.

These fish were too small for humans to be interested in them as a source of food. For many millennia, they calmly swam among coral reefs. AT recent times amphiprions have become popular among aquarium hobbyists. In Europe and America, collectors pay heavily for them, preferring brightly colored species. One of the most numerous kinds- clown fish (Amphiprion percula). This is the smallest of the amphiprions. It reaches only 6 cm long. Clownfish - orange with three white stripes with a black border. Interestingly, the mucus of the clown fish has an effect on jellyfish - they immediately “turn off” their goat cells. In places where fishermen “visit” large colonies of these fish, they catch the most expensive species, almost everywhere on the reef. Anemones are also destroyed, they gave them shelter. Today, in many countries, the catch of these fish is prohibited. Although amphiprions are small, they attract scuba divers: tourists and nature lovers. Perhaps thanks to tourism, these beautiful fish and will be saved.

REPRODUCTION.

Most amphiprions spawn on coral reefs near "their" sea anemones.
Amphiprions spawn on coral rocks or at the bottom of the sea, if possible, along with "their" sea anemones, whose tentacles provide their eggs. reliable protection. Sticky eggs are glued to the stones in heaps. The male takes care of their safety in the future. In some species of amphiprions, the father also "educates" the fry until they mature enough to find their own anemone. Otherwise, the juveniles are carried by the tide to the coast, where they remain until they reach sexual maturity.

DEVICE FEATURES.

Previously, scientists believed that clownfish and other members of this family simply have an innate immunity to poison, which is secreted by the tentacles of sea anemones. But studies have shown that such immunity is specifically produced and retained for only one particular species of anemone. When the fish approaches the tentacles of the polyp for the first time, it lightly touches them and immediately swims away. This process is repeated several times. During such a "training" the body of the fish is covered with a layer of sticky mucus, becoming insensitive to its stinging cells. When, in this way, the fish gets used to one anemone, it does not burn itself, swimming in the middle of the tentacles. On the contrary, it tries every time to rub against them. But if the fish is among the tentacles of another species of sea anemones, then it can die immediately.

AND YOU KNOW WHAT...

Amphiprions are raking in pectoral fins not only when swimming forward, but also while moving backward. If the protective layer of mucus on the body of the fish decreases, the stinging cells of the anemone's tentacles will scorch it. The clown fish owes its name to its color: white stripes with a black border on an orange background. Most amphiprions live only among the tentacles of sea anemones, such as those of the genus Stoichactis or Discosoma.

AMPHIPRIONS AND ACTIANIA.

Amphiprions: that spend most of their lives among the tentacles actinium, attract to them other types of fish that sea anemones feed on.
Amphiprions drive away other fish, even members of their own family, from anemones. driving away butterfly fish Chelmon rostratus, provide anemones with a great service. This fish is a threat to them because it bites the tips of the tentacles into anemones.

All of the above is just the fruit of observing this type of aquarium fish and collecting various information from owners and breeders. We would like to share with visitors not only information, but also lively emotions, allowing you to more fully and subtly feel the world of aquarism. Register on, participate in discussions on the forum, create profile topics where you will talk about your pets in the first person and firsthand, describe their habits, behavior and content, share your successes and joys with us, share experience and learn from experience others. We are interested in every bit of your experience, every second of your joy, every realization of a mistake that makes it possible for your comrades to avoid the same mistake. The more of us, the more pure and transparent droplets of goodness in the life and life of our seven billionth society.

amphiprion video compilation

Clown fish(English Clownfish) or anemone fish(English Anemonefish) belongs to the subfamily Amphiprion (Amphiprioninae) from the family Pomacentridae (Pomacentridae). Currently, there are 27 species, one of which is a member of the genus Premnas, and the rest belong to the genus type of the subfamily Amphiprion. Other pomacentrids are called damselfish fish.

Clown fish are an inhabitant of the warm waters of the Pacific Ocean. Some species live next to others. Clownfish are not found in the Atlantic Ocean. In nature, these fish live in close relationships with sea anemones. Once a sea anemone has been accepted by a clown, the fish will defend it with all its might. However, clownfish in an aquarium can exist without anemones. This is very good, since keeping sea anemones is quite a difficult task even for experienced aquarists. In nature, the sea anemone is a must for clownfish, as life on the reef is very dangerous for small, brightly colored and poorly able to swim fish. For this reason, clowns never stray far from their "master" (as the sea anemone is sometimes called). There are no predators in the aquarium, so anemone is not required for fish. And yet, if there is an anemone in the aquarium, then the clown fish, as a rule, does not swim further than 15-30cm from it.

clown fish and swallowfish - are the only species that are not afraid of anemone bites, which are very strong and painful. The exact mechanism by which they achieve this is a matter of debate, but there are a number of theories that hold true. The data of these theories is quite complex, but they fall into two main categories. One theory is that the slime that coats these fish is based on sugar, not protein, which is why anemones do not treat fish as food and do not shoot them with nematocysts or sting organelles. The second theory is that the mucous membranes of fish mimic the anemone's own coating. This theory is supported by the fact that the adaptation of clownfish to new variety sea ​​anemones take several days, and if you place the fish with a similar species of sea anemone, then acclimatization is not required. It is interesting to note that not all anemones can be houses for clownfish. Many "hosts" can and will sting and eat clowns. In addition, in nature, certain types of clownfish use only certain types of sea anemones. In captivity, certain species of fish may adapt to some other anemone species, but not all. Another theory is that clownfish have their own unique movements that distinguish them from any other fish and let the anemones know that they are not food. This theory is supported by the fact that a young clownfish, which has no cover, at the sight of danger, can instantly hide in any compatible sea anemone and will not be stung. Young clowns cannot survive for long without the protection of a sea anemone. But the fact is that not all of them manage to find their "owner", so many fish are eaten.

Clownfish are one of the few marine fish that can be bred and fed in captivity in large numbers. Aquarists advise, whenever possible, to purchase precisely those clown fish (and other marine animals) that were born and raised in captivity. Amphiprions are attractively colored and usually have very bright colors such as orange, black and white. They are friendly and not picky about food, so they are well suited for a saltwater aquarium. These fish adapt well in captivity and are suitable for scientific research. These warm water fish have a higher metabolism, so they are more active than cold water fish.

Clownfish spawn on any flat surface near or under the protection of their "master" - sea anemones. The males take care of the eggs. Larvae appear in complete darkness after 7-10 days. Birth occurs in a natural rhythm that is directly related to the phases of the moon. Fish are omnivores. Their diet includes almost any food - from cereal to meat. They feed mainly on copepods (copepods) and mysids (mysids), as well as undigested excrement of their sea anemones.

Clownfish are relatively small fish that can be up to 9cm (3.5 inches) long in aquariums. In nature, adults can have bodies up to 12 cm (5 inches) long. The maximum size varies by species, with males significantly smaller than females.

Reproduction of clown fish.

Clownfish are protandrous hermaphrodites(protandrous hermaphrodites), which means they hatch as immature fry. Depending on the signals of their environment and physical maturity (12-24 months), they either remain immature, or turn into males or first into males and then into females. A group of clownfish is always built on a hierarchy of this type, in which the female (the largest and most aggressive) is always at the very top. The transition from juvenile to male and from male to female is irreversible. If the main female dies or is removed from the group, then the dominant male turns into a female, and the remaining males move up the hierarchy.

In normal home aquarium clownfish can transform from juveniles to males and then to females in just a few months. Because of this, grouping clownfish into a group is not always easy. Most fanciers tend to choose the largest and most dominant specimens (most often females) to mate with their own female. But females tend to fight among themselves and often grapple with their jaws. Some aquarists call this kissing. In a successfully created pair, the male will display submissive behavior.

The most common types of clownfish (Amphiprion ocellaris, Amphiprion percula, etc.) are fairly easy to breed in a home aquarium. The female in the pair will become larger, and both fish will usually be next to each other in the same area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe aquarium or in an anemone. After a few months, the fish of a successfully matched pair will start spawning. With eggs ready to be stored, the female's abdomen will bulge. At this time, she will find a flat surface next to her anemone (if any). There she will lay eggs, which will then be fertilized by the male. Eggs usually hatch in 6-11 days (depending on temperature and other water parameters). At home, fry must be grown in a separate aquarium. They are fed first with rotifers and then with brine shrimp nauplii.

Clown black.

Clown black or amphiprion melanopus(scientific Amphiprion melanopus), which is often called in the West cinnamon clownfish(English Cinnamon Clownfish), has a color from dark red to orange. Large dark spots are located on its sides, covering the entire body of the fish from the head to the beginning of the caudal fin. On the head of adolescents and adult clowns there is a transverse wide white stripe which acquires a pleasant blue color with age. The fins of this fish are usually the same color as the body. Juveniles on the body have vertical stripes (3 pieces), which gradually disappear. In aquariums, the Black Clown grows up to 8 cm in length.

Clark's Clownfish.

Amphiprion Clark(scientific Amphiprion clarkii), which is more often found under the names Clark's Anemonefish or Yellowtail Clownfish, is a widespread clown fish. It is found in tropical waters, in lagoons and on the outer slopes of reefs from Persian Gulf to Western Australia and throughout the Indian and Pacific Oceans to Melanesia and Micronesia, as well as far north in Taiwan, southern Japan and the Ryukyu Archipelago.

Clark's Clownfish is an incredibly colorful fish with striking black, white and yellow stripes, although the exact coloration may vary depending on geographical location. They usually have two white stripes. One of them is located behind the eyes, and the second is above the anus. The caudal fin may be white or yellow, but is always lighter than the rest of the body.

Many of us are unusually strongly attracted to the underwater world. And even if we have only a small part of it in the form of an ordinary aquarium, it still looks beautiful and incomprehensible. A glass vessel, in which graceful fish move freely, in which there are small grottoes, snags, algae, very quickly begins to be perceived as a decoration of the whole house. And often among the inhabitants of the aquarium you can meet a clown fish.

Surely, most aquarium clowns are familiar from the notorious cartoon "Finding Nemo". And it should be noted that it was this Disney work that gave impetus to a new surge in the popularity of this amazing fish.

general description

In general, the clown fish lives in the Pacific and Indian Oceans, in their coastal coral reefs. Clowns have a very bright and attractive color for us: the whole body is decorated with orange, white, black stripes. The clown also has fins edged with a black border, a rather dense body and a short head. The back is crowned with a fin divided into 2 parts.

Clowns have one interesting hallmark. The fact is that constantly these fish make clicking sounds, they seem to grumble.

It is noteworthy that in its natural habitat, this fish “collaborates” very well with sea anemones - poisonous sea anemones. What is manifested in Team work"? A bright clown attracts predators to itself and lures them to an anemone, and then is content with the remnants of food.

Since anemones give clowns a sense of security, anemones are usually populated in an aquarium. With a small number of fish, which are stronger, begin to displace the weak. However, the content of this fish is possible without sea anemones: if the aquarium has grottoes and other shelters. Let's talk in more detail about how to ensure the correct maintenance of a clown at home.

Proper Care

The clown fish located in the aquarium needs special care. We note the main points:

• First of all, aquarium fish accept exceptionally good water quality. The clown can't bear elevated level nitrites;
• it is important to consult with a specialist before settling such a fish in an aquarium. The fact is that certain species in an aquarium begin to show aggression due to space restrictions;
• it is desirable to settle in the aquarium a couple, and already established. Then they are more likely to reproduce. The content of these inhabitants also implies their cohabitation with non-aggressive neighbors;
• in an aquarium whose volume does not exceed 100 liters, it is undesirable to place more than 2 fish.

In addition to the above, it is also important to pay attention to the main parameters that must be observed in the aquarium:

• the optimal temperature regime is about 25-27 degrees above zero;
• acidity should be in the range of 8-8.4;
• and the density is 1.020-1.025.

In addition, aquarium clowns require sufficient lighting. The water in the aquarium is replaced by 20% twice a month.

The clown is absolutely unpretentious in food, which allows you to feed it with shrimp, squid, fish, as well as algae, dry flakes and granules. The flock is fed 2 or 3 times a day.

Breeding issues

All clowns are male at birth, they just can change their gender later. This is very entertaining: each group of fish has its own dominant pair. This pair is two large fish that are engaged in reproduction. And if suddenly the female dies, then the male will simply change sex and look for another pair.

The female clown lays her eggs among the sea anemones. In their absence in the aquarium (or in the ocean, if we talk about the natural environment), spawning occurs under a rock or in a grotto. It should be noted that parents very much protect the place of laying eggs. Hatching begins after about 8-10 days. Aquarium fry should be separated from the general aquarium for a while. You can do this calmly, since there is no effect on the growth and development of fish this procedure does not render.

This is such an unusual aquarium fish, considered by us. It should be noted that clowns are often chosen by aquarists precisely because they are interesting and entertaining. You may also like these fish.

Botsii
freshwater aquarium clowns A flock of plants dancing and shimmering around in an aquarium of loaches, a fascinating and very spectacular phenomenon. When you keep Botsia, you can spend hours happily watching how they lazily somersault in the substrate, pinch, hide in strange and unimaginable places, and finally, they sleep with their belly up - which aquarists assume that they have died. Unlike other fish, Botsii can express their pleasure with a series of clicks.
Latin name: Botiidae (bots).
Detachment, family: loach Cobitidae, native to Asia.
Comfortable water temperature: Most loaches prefer water with a temperature of 24-28°C.
"Acidity" Ph: As a rule, Botsii prefer soft, sour water and do not they should be kept in water with a pH greater than 7.4, preferably 7.0.
Hardness dH: depending on the variety (Read below).
Aggressiveness: Aggressive.
Content Difficulty: All Botsii are schooling fish and in no case should they be alone. The group must consist of more than 6 fish. Bots can be quite aggressive among themselves and in a group that contains a small number of fish, aggression spills out on one selected member of the group. In large groups, aggression spreads evenly. Botsie can be shy and will appreciate the following factors: dim lights, openings and hiding places.

Since Botsii are river fish, they will be happy with the movement of water in the aquarium, as well as the low level organic waste which is a very important factor in fish health. The sandy substrate also plays an important role, but is not a panacea. If gravel is used, all pebbles should be round and clean. If the detritus are allowed to dig into the substrate, then the delicate tendrils of the bots are prone to infections. The decor of the aquarium should not contain any sharp edges and have a secure lid. loaches are experts at jumping.

Boats have a unique feature - the infraorbital spine. This spine protrudes from under the fish's eyes and hides when the fish senses danger or is under stress. You have to be careful when you catch Botsia, because. this spine can become entangled in the net, puncture the shipping bag or even injure the aquarist if he or she is not careful when handling this fish!

Botsy Compatibility: Neighbors for Botsia must be chosen with care. Ideal fish to pair with loaches would be other types of loaches or strong schooling fish like Tiger Barbs, Danios or large Tetras. Rainbow fish can be crossbred with success, although they prefer a higher pH.
These are very noisy fish. This manifests itself during feeding and play, which can cause stress for some slow-moving fish. You should also be very careful when combining Botius with other inhabitants of the lower layers.
Feeding and diet Botsy: Depending on the variety. Feeding any aquarium fish should be correct: balanced, varied. This fundamental rule is the key to the successful keeping of any fish, be it guppies or astronotus. Article How and how much to feed aquarium fish talks about this in detail, it outlines the basic principles of the diet and feeding regimen for fish.

In this article, we note the most important thing - feeding fish should not be monotonous, the diet should include both dry food and live food. In addition, it is necessary to take into account the gastronomic preferences of a particular fish and, depending on this, include food in its diet either with the greatest content protein or vice versa with herbal ingredients.

Popular and popular food for fish, of course, are dry food. For example, all the time and everywhere you can find on the aquarium counters the food of the Tetra company - the leader of the Russian market, in fact, the range of food of this company is amazing. Tetra's "gastronomic arsenal" includes both individual food for a certain kind fish: for goldfish, cichlids, loricariids, guppies, labyrinths, arowans, discus, etc. Also, Tetra has developed specialized feeds, for example, to enhance color, fortified or for feeding fry. Detailed information You can find out about all Tetra feeds on the official website of the company - here.

Amphiprion Description of Amphiprion:

Amphiprions (Amphiprion) or "clown fish" are widely known in the marine aquarium hobby. Perhaps today we can say that this is the most popular of the saltwater aquarium fish. The fact of the symbiosis of these magnificent fish with marine coelenterates - sea anemones is well known. Brightly colored amphiprions (usually their color consists of white, black, yellow contrasting stripes and spots on a red, orange or golden background) constantly stay close to "their" sea anemones, not moving away from them for a long distance. When approached by a predator or other danger, they find shelter among the numerous tentacles surrounding the anemone's oral disc. These tentacles are known to be armed with stinging filaments - nematocysts and are a deadly danger to small fish.
This rather extensive genus (various sources number from 12 to 28 species of amphiprions) belongs to the Pomacentridae family. Aquariums most often contain Amphiprion ocellaris, A. clarkii, A. perideraion, A. tridnctus, A. melanopus.
One or a pair of amphiprions maintains a permanent symbiosis with one or more anemones chosen by them as their “home”. Before the symbiosis of amphiprion and sea anemone develops, the so-called "acquaintance" occurs. Amphiprion slowly accustoms anemones to his society. The "acquaintance" lasts 2-3 minutes, and after that the sea anemone no longer shows any aggression towards the amphiprion. During this process, the fish perceives a protective substance that is formed in the anemone glands and enters directly into the stinging cells of the tentacles, and develops immunity to it. This substance also protects the anemones themselves from their own tentacles and, in addition, allows them to organize their territory. Clownfish mix this "chemical camouflage" with their own mucus, and anemone ceases to perceive them as a food object. Naturally, the chemical composition of amphiprion skin mucus becomes individual after such manipulations and changes depending on which sea anemone it is “friends with”. If fish are deprived of this protective film, they will immediately become easy prey for "their" anemone.
Amphiprions can be safely recommended to beginner marine aquarists as one of the easiest fish to keep. "Clownfish" are unpretentious in feeding, quickly eat up, do not spit out food, do not leave behind uneaten pieces that can spoil the water (they are eaten up by sea anemones). Amphiprion waste is minimal, so the water purification system may be somewhat easier than for other coral reef dwellers. Amphiprions are very picky in relation to the composition of the feed and eat almost everything edible that crawls into their mouths. Feed should be given in small quantities several times a day.
The popular opinion that the amphiprion specially feeds its sea anemones is rather from the realm of legends. This myth is caused by the feeding behavior of the amphiprion: having grabbed a piece of food, it immediately hides in an anemone, where it eats it. But those pieces that remain after his meal, what falls out of his mouth - goes to anemones. That is, feeding an anemone with a clownfish is an act rather unintentional. But this, of course, is all the same to sea anemones, and thus it also receives its benefit from symbiosis. Another benefit is that due to the movement of the amphiprions among the tentacles of the sea anemone, a current of water is created, removing detritus and secretions from its oral disk.
The type of sea anemone (and the diversity of these coelenterates on reefs is simply colossal) is also of no small importance for amphiprion. As a home, they prefer anemones from the group of giant anemones with long, thick, densely spaced tentacles, which are more convenient as hiding places.
It is interesting to watch fearless amphiprions in the arms of perhaps the most toxic of all anemones contained in aquariums - the green carpet anemone (Stichodactyla haddoni). This anemone is capable of killing even very large fish, but will never touch its amphiprion. The carpet anemone, unlike most other anemones, is capable of killing fish not only in direct contact with the tentacles, but also at a distance, throwing out its stinging cells at a distance of up to 10 cm. There are cases when a fish (even a rather large one) swam past the carpet anemone anemones at a considerable distance, within half an hour, died from the action of its stinging cells. A person, touching a carpet anemone, experiences a sensation akin to a nettle burn, but its poison does not pose any danger to a person. One of the few natural symbionts of carpet anemones are anemone crabs (Petrolisthes ohshimai, Neopetrolisthes maculatus and other closely related species). They, of course, like amphiprions, also prefer a less poisonous symbiont, however, the green carpet sea anemone is quite suitable for them as a place of residence.
If there is no sea anemone at all in an aquarium with amphiprions, they are able to choose to live in another sessile invertebrate, more or less similar to it, for example, hard coral - goniopora (Goniopora lobato) or mushroom-shaped leathery soft coral (Sarcophyton). Amphiprion ocellaris can even live in the folds of the mantle of a large bivalve mollusk - tridacna.
Amphiprions are hermaphrodites. In nature, a couple of adult fish and two or three small ones usually live in one sea anemone. The largest fish is the female, the next largest is the active male, while small fish do not have a specific sex. In the event of the death of the female, her place is taken by the male, who changes sex and quickly increases in size. One of the small fish becomes the active male. In the event of the death of an active male, one of the small fish also takes its place. This feature of amphiprions can be successfully used in aquarism: it is enough to put two individuals of different sizes into the aquarium, and over time you will get a male and a female. By the way, amphiprions are one of the few marine fish whose breeding has been successfully mastered by amateurs. In our country, amphiprions have been successfully bred for almost a quarter of a century. The pioneer of this business was the most famous specialist of the late 20th century, the author of the classic work "The Marine Aquarium at Home" Dmitry Nikolayevich Stepanov (see "Fish Breeding", 1985, No. 4). colored sand anemones from the genus Radianthus, amphiprions, as a rule, do not settle. Amphiprions also avoid symbiosis with Atlantic anemones, for example (Condylactis passiflora), proving the fact that the Atlantic is not a habitat for clown fish.
The content of amphiprions is not difficult. The density of the water should be about 1.022, and the salt content should be at the level of 34.5 r/l. Since clownfish and sea anemones are inhabitants of warm tropical seas, they prefer temperatures of 26-30°C. An aquarium with amphiprions should be provided with a high-quality biological filter. Soil - coral sand with a particle diameter of 3-5 mm, located in a layer with a thickness of at least 7 cm. The water flow from the filter outlet should be directed to sea anemone, which will create favorable conditions for it. In order for algae to grow well in the aquarium, you need strong lighting for 12-16 hours a day. At least once a month (and preferably weekly) it is necessary to replace 20-25% of the water with fresh artificially prepared sea water of the same composition, density and pH as the one in the aquarium. The aquarium should be kept clean, removing detritus from the ground with a siphon in time.
Often amphiprions are kept in marine aquariums of small and ultra-small volume - 150, 120, even 80-100 liters. However, we do not recommend this for beginners. Such a small aquarium, in comparison with a reef aquarium of a “traditional marine” volume (from 300-350 liters or more), requires more careful care and attention to oneself. Water parameters (temperature, salinity, pH, nitrogen content in various forms, macro- and microelements) in it easily shift in one direction or another from the norm, the balance in a small volume is unstable. However, if everything is done correctly, amphiprions will not experience any inconvenience in a small aquarium, and you and your children will be able to observe the most interesting behavior of the “Nemo fish” living in the anemone tentacles with pleasure.

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Amphiprions

Brightly colored amphiprions are the "living jewels" of coral reefs. They swim among the sea anemones' stinging tentacles, which do not harm them.

Row- Perciformes
A family- pomaceous
Genus/Species- Amphiprion

Basic data:
DIMENSIONS
Length: depending on the species, 6-12 cm.

BREEDING
Spawning: in tropical waters throughout the year.
Caviar: a large amount.
Incubation period: 4-5 days.

LIFESTYLE
Habits: keep in pairs; symbiosis with sea anemones.
Food: the remains of fish eaten by sea anemones.
Lifespan: 3-5 years.

RELATED SPECIES
The most common types of pomacentre are clown fish (Amfiprion percula), perch-like amphiprion (A. ocellaris), two-band amphiprion (A. bicinctus), pomacentre (Romacentrus coeruleus) and many others.

Amphiprions belong to a group of small, brightly colored fish called "corals." These coral reef dwellers have developed a special, rather dangerous, symbiotic relationship with stinging sea anemones.

Amphiprions live next to anemones and are in a symbiotic relationship with them. Sometimes they leave the safe tentacles of "their" sea anemone and go on a short trip across the coral reef. However, they never get far from their protector in that their bright colors quickly attract the attention of other fish who begin to prey on them.
The fish, escaping from the pursuer, rushes "into the arms" to "its" sea anemone. The pursuer that swims after the escaped fish usually becomes a victim of an anemone, which immediately paralyzes him with its poison. Then the sea anemone digests the fish, and the amphiprion already feeds on the remnants of this prey.
In addition, amphiprions also eat planktonic crustaceans and algae growing on coral reefs. These fish clean the sea anemones of waste and debris, remove dead parts of the tentacles and other contaminants.

AMPHIPRIONS AND MAN

These fish were too small for humans to be interested in them as a source of food. For many millennia, they calmly swam among coral reefs. Recently, amphiprions have become popular among aquarium lovers. In Europe and America, collectors pay heavily for them, preferring brightly colored species. One of the most numerous species is the clown fish (Amphiprion percula). This is the smallest of the amphiprions. It reaches only 6 cm long. Clownfish - orange with three white stripes with a black border. Interestingly, the mucus of the clown fish has an effect on jellyfish - they immediately “turn off” their goat cells. In places where fishermen “visit” large colonies of these fish, they catch the most expensive species, almost everywhere on the reef. Anemones are also destroyed, they gave them shelter. Today, in many countries, the catch of these fish is prohibited. Although amphiprions are small, they attract scuba divers: tourists and nature lovers. Perhaps thanks to tourism, these beautiful fish will be saved.

BREEDING

Most amphiprions spawn on coral reefs near "their" sea anemones.
Amphiprions spawn on coral rocks or at the bottom of the sea, if possible, along with "their" sea anemone, the tentacles of which provide their eggs with reliable protection. Sticky eggs are glued to stones in groups. The male already takes care of their safety. also "educating" fry until they are old enough to find their own anemone. Otherwise, the juveniles are carried by the tide to the coast, where they remain until they reach sexual maturity.

DEVICE FEATURES

Previously, scientists believed that clownfish and other members of this family simply have an innate immunity to poison, which is secreted by the tentacles of sea anemones. But studies have shown that such immunity is specifically produced and retained for only one particular species of anemone. When the fish approaches the tentacles of the polyp for the first time, it lightly touches them and immediately swims away. This process is repeated several times. During such a "training" the body of the fish is covered with a layer of sticky mucus, becoming insensitive to its stinging cells. When, in this way, the fish gets used to one anemone, it does not burn itself, swimming in the middle of the tentacles. On the contrary, it tries every time to rub against them. But if the fish is among the tentacles of another species of sea anemones, then it can die immediately.

YOU KNOW WHAT...

Amphiprions rake with their pectoral fins not only when they swim forward, but also while moving backward. If the protective layer of mucus on the body of the fish decreases, the stinging cells of the anemone's tentacles will scorch it. The clown fish owes its name to its color: white stripes with a black border on an orange background. Most amphiprions live only among the tentacles of sea anemones, such as those of the genus Stoichactis or Discosoma.

AMPHIPRIONS AND STERONS

Amphiprions: that spend most of their lives among the tentacles actinium, attract to them other types of fish that sea anemones feed on.
Amphiprions drive away other fish, even members of their own family, from anemones. driving away butterfly fish Chelmon rostratus, provide anemones with a great service. This fish is a threat to them because it bites the tips of the tentacles into anemones.

amphiprion video compilation

• - Anabas
• - Anadoras
• - Anoptichthys or Blind fish
• - Anostomus
• - Ancistrus: content, compatibility, breeding, photo-video review of catfish sucker, sticky

Amphiprion is an aquarium clown fish.

There are no particular difficulties in caring for amphiprions, you just need to follow some specific rules that are not too different from keeping other varieties of fish.

Artificial sea water in an aquarium should have a density of about 1.02, while for each liter of liquid there should be about 34 grams of salts. Due to the fact that this type of fish in natural conditions lives in tropical seas, where the waters are warm enough, the temperature in the aquarium is required not less than 26 and not more than 31°C.

The cleanliness in the aquarium is maintained with the help of a biological filter; organic particles can also periodically accumulate on the surface of the soil, which should be removed with a siphon. The most suitable soil for amphiprions is coral sand, the particle size of which should be from 3 to 6 mm. The size of the sand layer is recommended 8 - 9 mm.

Fish need to replace part of the water in the aquarium every week - about 25%. Care should be taken to ensure that the chemical composition of fresh water does not differ.

Feeding

Clowns are not at all capricious in terms of nutrition. They need to be fed several times a day, giving food in small portions. Due to the fact that all the leftovers from the meal of the fish go to the sea anemones, the waste from these inhabitants of the aquarium is minimal. Therefore, unlike other representatives of the underwater world that live near coral reefs, not too expensive and fairly simple equipment for water purification is suitable for amphiprions.

Clowns eat all the traditional foods that can be found in pet stores. A special delicacy for them is frozen food. Due to the pickiness of such inhabitants, they eat almost everything that fits in their mouths.

The most famous types of amphiprions:

• variegated amphiprion
• orange amphiprion
• Clown tomato
• Moorish clown
• Clown pink
• Red and black clown

Classification

The entire genus of amphiprions has about 25 varieties, but no more than 10 of them are possible for keeping in a home aquarium. This is due to the fact that some fish live either in places that are too difficult to catch, or their capture is generally prohibited.

The most common species in captivity are:

- clarkii - chocolate fish, the most common among the whole genus. The color of her body ranges from a dark yellow hue to almost black. She has a slightly elongated body, a small mouth and small teeth;

- ocellaris - a representative of this particular species is the main character of the cartoon about Nemo fish. For all his pretty appearance, he is quite aggressive. Their militancy, arrogance and self-confidence is simply amazing, and it is explained by the fact that the fish, at the slightest danger, can hide among the tentacles of anemones, becoming inaccessible;

- melanopus - they are very similar to some other varieties. The main difference of this type is ventral fins completely painted black. Representatives of this species are not recommended to be kept together with other varieties of amphiprions;

- perideraion - a characteristic feature of the pink clown is a light strip running along the back of the fish. They are less common than other species of the genus Amphiprion. The fish is not as bright as some other representatives of this genus, but, nevertheless, it is easy enough to keep.

Appearance of amphiprions

Clownfish are distinguished not only by their bright colors, but also by their body shape. They have a short back, a flattened body (from the sides). These fish have one dorsal, divided by a kind of notch into two parts. One of the parts (the one closer to the head) has prickly spikes, and the other, on the contrary, is very soft.

The body length of amphiprions can vary from 15 to 20 centimeters. There is a lot of mucus on the skin of these fish, it protects them from the stinging cells of anemones, among which clown fish spend quite a lot of time. The skin of amphiprions has a contrasting color, always bright shades, with a predominance of: yellow, blue, white, orange.

Reproduction of amphiprions

An unusual phenomenon associated with sexual transformation is present in the life of every amphiprion. The fact is that every clown fish is born as a male. And only reaching a certain age and size, the male turns into a female. However, under natural habitat conditions, a group of amphiprions has only one female - the dominant one, she in a special way (at the physical and hormonal level) suppresses the transformation of males into females.

During the breeding season, amphiprions lay up to several thousand eggs. Caviar is deposited on flat stones in the immediate vicinity of anemone thickets. The maturation of future fry lasts about 10 days.

Compatibility

The best neighbors for clowns are peaceful fish that do not show aggression. These include gobies, butterfly fish, blennies, chromis, cardinals and others.

A variety of carnivorous fish, such as triggerfish, eels, lionfish or groupers, can pose a danger to amphiprions, so keeping amphiprions with such inhabitants is highly discouraged.

DEVICE FEATURES

Previously, scientists believed that clownfish and other members of this family simply have an innate immunity to poison, which is secreted by the tentacles of sea anemones. But studies have shown that such immunity is specifically produced and retained for only one particular species of anemone. When the fish approaches the tentacles of the polyp for the first time, it lightly touches them and immediately swims away. This process is repeated several times. During such a "training" the body of the fish is covered with a layer of sticky mucus, becoming insensitive to its stinging cells. When, thus, the fish gets used to one anemone, it does not burn itself, swimming in the middle of the tentacles. On the contrary, she tries every time to rub against them. But if the fish is among the tentacles of another species of sea anemones, then it can die immediately.

Clownfish - description and photos.

All fry clown fish are born males, but during the life of the fish changes sex if the female of the pair died. It is characteristic that the males are much smaller than the females, the head is short, the body is flattened from the sides, the back is high. The upper fin is divided, its front part is with prickly spines, and the back is soft. It is this difference that visually separates the dorsal fin, and it looks like there are two of them. In food, clown fish is unpretentious, mainly microscopic algae and small crustaceans are food for the amphitryon. Clownfish live in flocks, which are always led by an old and large female. During the period of spawning, the fish lays from several hundred to a thousand eggs on flat stones, next to the neighboring sea anemone. Caviar maturation occurs over 10 days. While the fry are developing, the clown fish courageously guards them.

Aquarium clownfish.

Clownfish are quite popular with aquarists because of their bright colors and interesting behavior: you can watch them for hours, losing track of time. Another huge plus in keeping clownfish in an aquarium is their unpretentiousness compared to other coral fish. But even this seemingly cute little fish has a minus - in captivity, the clown fish becomes quite aggressive. And this must be taken into account when sharing with other fish in the aquarium. The color of aquarium fish exactly repeats the natural one, large black stripes alternate with red or orange and white. Fins with a black border, and the iris around the eyes is bright orange. The only difference is that the stripes can have a different shape.

SCALARIUM CARE AND MAINTENANCE

MOLLINES CONTENT FEEDING COMPATIBILITY SPILLING MAINTENANCE DESCRIPTION

DANIO-CARE, CONTENT SPINING COMPATIBILITY PHOTO AND VIDEO DESCRIPTION

DISCUS-CARE DESCRIPTION SPRING COMPATIBILITY PHOTO

Aquarium fish botia clowns

Aquarium studies penetrate deeper into society; keep a piece at home marine life and fauna today is very simple. Beautiful corals, sea anemones, crustaceans, sea urchins... to have a real underwater world at home is truly unique!

At first glance, it seems impossible to keep marine fish species at home. Some people think that setting up a marine aquarium costs an unrealistic amount of money. This is not so: there are inexpensive and high-quality options. It is always worth starting with something small - after all, placing a small copy of a coral reef in your home is a whole art and painstaking work.

Today our choice fell on very interesting and beautiful clown fish. Clownfish enter into symbiosis with some species of sea anemones; this is a typical example of symbiotic behavior, which is very interesting to watch. Aquarium clownfish are a great solution for creating your first marine biotope in your home. Also Clowns - best choice if you are a beginner marine aquarist. The fish is not demanding on the volume of the aquarium. In addition, you can keep both a small flock and a flock with a dominant pair; if aggressive individuals come across, then it is worth resorting to their isolation. Also, Clowns can be kept both in a reef and in a small species aquarium with sea anemones - this will allow the full potential of the fish to be revealed. In nature, these wonderful colorful fish use some types of sea anemones as shelters, which is very convenient.

If you have chosen the option of keeping with anemones, then you should know the types of anemones that the clown fish will get along with. Anemones from the family Stichodactyla, Heteractis or Entacmaea will be the best hiding places for your beauties.

There will be no particular difficulties with keeping the fish in terms of conditions: the pH of the water varies within 8 - 8.5, the density is 1.022 - 1.025, the temperature is 24-27 ° С. Also among fish lovers for more than 50 years, clown aquarium fish have been popular.

This species has an interesting defense mechanism: there are spikes under the eyes of the Botius clown, which the fish can control by straining or relaxing them. Also, this - rather large - fish (they reach a length of 30 cm) in danger is capable of making characteristic clicking sounds.

For this type of fish, an aquarium of 200 liters is required. The conditions are in many ways similar to keeping the Clown: the fish is kept in groups of 5-8 individuals. This species does not need sea anemones; large-leaved plants are preferred, the soil is sandy, rather soft.

As for food, it can be noted that this species of fish is omnivorous - it willingly consumes both live and dry food.

Breeding clown bots.

Botsia clown content and description

This is a very beautiful, big fish. The bodies of the clown's fight are elongated and laterally compressed. The mouth is directed downward and has four pairs of whiskers. The clown's booty also has spikes that are located under the eyes and serve to protect against predatory fish. Botsia exposes them at the moment of danger, which can be a problem when catching, as they cling to the net. Better to use a plastic container.
It is reported that in the nature of bots clowns grow up to 40 cm, but in the aquarium they are smaller, about 20-25 cm. good conditions they can live up to 20 years.

The graceful clown's botia has a bright yellow-orange body color with three wide black stripes, for which English language she received the name - tiger fight (Tiger Loach). One stripe goes through the eyes, the second is just in front of the dorsal fin, and the third one captures part of the dorsal fin and goes further behind it. Together, they form a very beautiful and eye-catching coloration. True, the clown botia is most brightly colored in young age, and as it grows older, it turns pale, but does not lose its beauty.

Macracanths spend most of their time at the bottom, but can also rise to the middle layers, especially when they are accustomed to the aquarium and are not scared. Since they grow quite large, and they need to be kept in a flock, then an aquarium is needed for large clown fights, with a volume of 250 liters or more. The minimum number to keep in an aquarium is 3. But more is better, as in nature they live in very large flocks. Accordingly, for a flock of 5 fish, you need an aquarium with a displacement of about 400.

They do best in soft water (5 - 12 dGH) with a pH of 6.0-6.5 and a water temperature of 24-30°C. Also, there should be plenty of nooks and crannies in the aquarium so that the fish can hide when frightened or in conflict. The soil is better soft - sand or fine gravel.

Never start a macracanth in a newly established aquarium. In such an aquarium, the water parameters change too much, and the clowns need stability. They love the flow, and a lot of dissolved oxygen in the water. It is advisable to use a sufficiently powerful external filter for this, with which it is quite simple to create a flow.

It is important to regularly change the water and monitor the amount of ammonia and nitrates, since the flakes have very small scales, poisoning occurs very quickly. They jump well, you need to cover the aquarium.
The type of aquarium does not matter and depends entirely on your taste. If you want to create a biotope, then it is better to put sand or fine gravel on the bottom, as clowns have very sensitive whiskers that are easy to hurt. You can use large stones and large snags, where the battles can take cover. They are very fond of shelters in which they can barely squeeze through, ceramic and plastic pipes. Sometimes they can dig themselves caves under snags or stones,

make sure that they do not bring down anything. Floating plants can be put on the surface of the water, which will create a more diffused light.

Botsii clowns can do weird things. Not many people know that they sleep on their side, or even upside down, and when they see this, they think that the fish has already died. However, this is quite normal for them. As well as the fact that at one moment the battle can disappear, in order to get out of some already completely unimaginable gap after a while.

Breeding clown bots.

Breeding clown bots. Dilute fights of all kinds is extremely difficult. I do not have my own experience in breeding these fish, so below is an excerpt from an article by A. Serdyukov (Aquarium 1/1993).

“The spawning ground must be large, especially for large species. Water parameters when keeping producers: hardness - 15°, pH 6.5-7.2, temperature 24-26°C. High-quality water purification is necessary. Used for spawning old water with a slight addition of fresh (1/5-1/6 volume), its hardness is 5-6°, pH 6.8-7.0, temperature 30-32°C.

A prerequisite is a strong current, for the creation of which it is best to use a device of the "pinwheel" type. Usually, electric motors are used for this purpose, preferably with a gearbox. Four blades are installed on the motor shaft, all this is covered with a casing made of plexiglass, vinyl plastic or tinned wire mesh. To work with such a “turntable”, it is necessary to somewhat modernize or re-make the spawning ground (the corners must have inserts from sheet plexiglass so that the water flow does not lose its energy in dead zones).

It is impossible to use mechanical pumps and airlifts, since botsius caviar, like labeo and girinoheylus caviar, is constantly in the water column and is carried by the current from place to place.
As a spawning substrate, you can use smooth kamits and poles. which are installed at the most flowing place. The intensity of spawning directly depends on the power of the current.

There should be 3-4 males per female. Hormonal injections are performed by a fractional method.

At the end of spawning, the spawners are planted, the “turntable” is turned off and additional air atomizers are installed. At a temperature of 29-31°C, already after 2-3 hours, it is possible to determine the fertilized caviar is transparent. Unfertilized, white, caviar must be removed (or good caviar should be transferred to another place).

Incubation lasts from 18 to 20 hours. The hatched larvae are extremely small and concentrate in the darkest places. On the fourth day, the fry begin to feed. At this time, they need to be fed with the smallest species of rotifers, Cyclops nauplii in combination with green euglena.

In the life of fry Botsiya clown, the most critical time is the first month. Therefore, it is necessary to strictly monitor the quality of water and feed. By the end of the month, fry of large bots reach a length of 13-17 millimeters, small - 7-10 and begin to take on the color of their parents.

According to A. Kochetov, the nominative form of B. macracantha, due to the uneven growth rate, matures after five years, reaching a length of at least 12 cm. The coloration of males in the mating season becomes bronze-yellow with a smoky coating and non-contrasting anthracite stripes. Females are noticeably rounded (they have a slight bulge in the abdomen) and acquire a bright egg-yellow color with moiré-black transverse stripes.

There is information about breeding Botsia clown in the Nautilus club. In addition to the traditional form, amateurs had at their disposal four specimens of a giant (from 20 to 28 cm) high-bodied race from the Mekong River. The fish were of an unusual appearance: the stripes had an additional double-sided gold trim. The age of simple fights varied from 3 to 6 years; giant - was approaching 8 years. Since 1993, the club has been repeatedly engaged in stimulating spawners, but to no avail: either the females produced bad eggs, or the males did not flow and were passive, or it was not possible to synchronize the maturation of the spawners.

Botsia clown photo

Behavior and compatibility Individuals of this species not very aggressive, but should not be kept with small fish, because the latter will be stressed from too active behavior of the bots. It is best not to introduce slow-moving veil-finned fish such as bettas/guppies and many cichlids because bots can bite off their tail fins. More suitable neighbors are peaceful, schooling cyprinids, many of which are naturally sympatric with the genus Chromobotia and are commercially available. As for other bottom dwellers, Chromobotia macracanthus gets along well with most types of bots and some other loaches. Representatives of such species as Epalzeorhynchos, Crossocheilus and Garraand are also suitable. Representatives of the species Chromobotia macracanthus are gregarious, form a complex social hierarchy and should be kept in groups of 5-6 specimens, preferably 10 or more. When kept alone, individuals become aggressive towards fish of similar sizes, and when planted in numbers of two or three, the dominant individual will attack others, preventing them from eating. These fish need constant contact with relatives.

Sexual dimorphism. Distinguishing between males and females of the clownfish In nature, adult fighting clowns reach a length of 20-30 cm, after which growth progressively decreases. There is information about the discovery of specimens under 40 cm, which is quite possible, but takes a lot of time. As a rule, in an aquarium, the length of the fish is less, which is affected by the volume of the container. Sexual dimorphism in fish is weakly expressed. Sexually mature males are more elegant than larger females, whose abdomen is fuller. Some theories suggest that males have a more deeply forked caudal fin, but this fact has not been proven.

Clown fish Amphiprion (amphiprion). I greet you dear readers on the pages of the Aqua-As aquarist's blog. Today we will talk about the most recognizable and widely loved clown fish or amphiprion.

Clown fish introduction.

Probably everyone, without exception, agrees with me that the clown fish, along with the discus, is recognized as a symbol of aquarism, and even some companies dealing exclusively with freshwater aquariums choose the clown as their logo, although it is a sea fish, and the ocellaris clown as well known. Although there are a large number of species of clowns, the ocellaris is of course the most recognizable and widespread, in addition to the well-known cartoon, the clown has even more popularity, turning it into real star.

Why is the clown so popular? Everything is very simple, the clown fish has everything that most people like: bright coloring, unusual behavior, peaceful disposition (for some time), small size (this refers to the ocellaris species, most other clown fish grow to rather big sizes), unpretentiousness and adaptability to marine aquarium conditions. This whole set provided the clown with the first place in the popularity of aquarium fish.

General description of clown fish.

If we talk about the type of clown ocellaris, then the fish is relatively small in size, they rarely grow more than 10 cm in an aquarium, while, for example, types of clarke or premnas clowns can grow much larger. In nature, clowns live together with anemones (anemones). In a group of young fish, a pair is formed, who chooses for her further habitation actinium, which become their home for a long time. Clown fish are immune, the stinging tentacles of anemones do not cause them any harm, but other fish from anemones can suffer quite seriously. In the video below, you can clearly see how the clowns behave in an anemone, on the right is a white anemone on the left, rodaktis.

In the formed pair, the female is larger than the male and is dominant, there are pairs where the difference in size is simply huge, I had to see pairs of clowns where the male was literally a few centimeters in size, while the female had a size of more than ten, I want to tell you that picture. The female feeds first when feeding, takes the best place in anemones, there are times when the female can easily drive the male out of the action and he is forced to spend the night somewhere nearby. The formed couple fiercely protects their home - sea anemones from other fish and their relatives, who always think that the anemone chosen by the couple is much more attractive and better than the one that They have it and are trying their best to take it.

Keeping clowns in an aquarium.

Clowns are ideal for keeping in, it's all about their small size and lifestyle, even in nature under natural conditions, clowns spend most of their lives in an area of ​​several tens of centimeters, next to the chosen anemone. Therefore, in the aquarium they do not need large volumes, clowns are kept even in. Although clowns live in aquariums of 30 liters each, this applies to the ocellaris species, such an aquarium is clearly not suitable for large species, all the same, my opinion is desirable, if possible, to provide the clowns with a larger aquarium. If the aquarium has a volume of 200-300 liters or more, you can keep large quantity fish.

In a marine aquarium, the behavior of clowns is not much different from the behavior in the natural environment. If there is an anemone in the aquarium suitable for symbiosis, they settle in it and spend most of the time there, when feeding, they of course leave their home and are one of the first to rush to the feeding place. Because of this feature, there is an opinion that the behavior of clowns is more interesting when there are no sea anemones in the aquarium, then the clowns are more mobile and swim all over the aquarium. Here, by the way, much depends both on the type of clown and on individual the nature of the fish, there are times when clowns stay, for example, in one corner of the aquarium and flatly refuse to leave it, while others, on the contrary, actively move throughout the aquarium. It is believed that anemone is vital for keeping clowns in an aquarium, but they do just fine without it.

Feeding clowns, how and what to feed.

As a rule, there are no problems with feeding the fish. Having adapted in the aquarium, clowns are happy to accept dry branded food, minced seafood or frozen food for marine fish species. In addition to specialized dry food, I also give my clowns and dry for freshwater fish, in particular, Tetra Rubin, of course, you should not feed it with dry food alone, you can diversify your diet very simply by preparing minced meat yourself.

Artemia is also a favorite food for clowns; they even feed it to wild clowns coming for sale to aquarists, and only after the fish began to take these crustaceans, they offer other food in the future.

The easiest stuffing for clowns.

Here I will give an example of the very preparation of the simplest minced meat, it will certainly suit not only clowns, but also most other aquarium marine life, including shrimp and hermit crabs. The simplest version of minced meat has only a few ingredients. We buy shrimp in the grocery store, but not boiled, but fresh or fresh-frozen, tiger or king prawns are on sale. We also take squid, an ideal option to find fresh non-ice cream. You can take mussels if you like. A lot of no need, for example, a couple of shrimp and one squid carcass is enough for several months for feeding only clowns, but also other inhabitants.

We clean the shrimp, squid, mussels and grind in a blender, then transfer the resulting mass to plastic bag make a thin layer that would pass was to cut off the pieces for feeding and freeze in the freezer. You should not put a lot of squid, their meat is much tougher than shrimp, and for example, pure minced meat from it is not a clown especially like it. Many additionally add various additives, including and vegetable, and also enrich it with vitamins, but even in this simple version clowns love it.

My experience with keeping clowns.

At the time of writing this article, I have two oscelaris clowns living in front of them, a couple of Clark's clowns, one of which was given to a larger aquarium, the second clown unfortunately jumped out of the aquarium. Pay attention to this moment, many sea ​​fish very jumpy and if the aquarium is open with a high probability the fish can jump out of it. This is especially pronounced in different types wrasses and dogs. You can solve the problem by using a mesh stretched over the aquarium or covering the surface of the water with a cover glass, although this does not look very nice, it will save the inhabitants. Moreover, the clown oscelaris popsnjr has never been observed to jump out, although they live under the very edge of the water in sea anemones.

Small clowns can suffer from aggressive and territorial fish in my case, while they were small, they often received from the chrysapter, but when they grew up they began to fight back so that the latter lost any desire to contact them. The video below just shows the attacks of the chrysapter at the time when the clowns just got into my aquarium and could not fully fight back.

There are no problems with feeding clowns; they are happy to eat dry food, sea freezing and, of course, homemade minced meat.

On this, all dear friends, write your questions in the comments, I will be happy to answer them.

Many, even experienced, aquarists who wish to keep and breed sea ​​fish, poorly understand the differences between freshwater and marine aquariums.

Marine fish, which include clown fish, are more demanding on the composition of the water and the conditions of existence.

Therefore, of particular importance for the marine aquarium are:

• special pumps with an oxygen enrichment function that ensure the movement of water in all areas;
• sea ​​water filters;
• skimmers;
• proper maintenance, which is much more difficult than freshwater aquariums.

These fish are very beautiful with their memorable appearance and bright colors.

In nature life cycle they are 10 years old, clown fish in an aquarium live 2 times longer. They are born males, after which the largest individuals become females. When she dies, one of the males changes sex and takes the place of the deceased.

Their maximum size is 11 cm, the average is 7 cm. The shape of the body is in the form of a torpedo. The head has a bulge similar to that of a frog. The hard dorsal fin contains 10 rays, the soft dorsal fin contains about 14-17 rays. The color of fish of any age is the same: thick black stripes alternate with orange or red and white. The fins have a black border. The iris of the eyes is bright orange. The color of the whole body can be from bright orange to red and yellow. Females are larger (by 1 cm) and aggressive. In the pack, they are leaders. There are about 26 subspecies of fish with various form stripes and shades.

The preferred habitat in captivity is corals and sea anemones. The tentacles of the latter contain stinging cells and serve as protection for clown fish. When burned by sea anemones, they quickly begin to produce enveloping mucus and become insensitive to the poison. At the same time, they clean the sea anemones from dirt and carry out water ventilation among the tentacles (symbiosis). The fish live one by one, several or in small flocks.

reproduction

Each flock has a breeding pair and several males that are not capable of breeding. Their role is not known. Spawning occurs for two hours in the evening in accordance with the lunar cycle, which stimulates the activity of males. During this period, the lighting of the aquarium should be turned off from 22 to 23 pm. Caviar is laid at a water temperature of 26 degrees under sea anemones, and in their absence - in a grotto or coral. The male guards and cares for the eggs by removing eggs that are not fertilized. Occasionally, the female helps him in protection. The number of eggs depends on its age and fatness and ranges from 400 to 1500. The larvae appear after 7-10 days and feed on plankton. After 8 - 12 days, they set off in search of sea anemones.

An aquarium clown fish is kept in a marine aquarium. For one pair of fish, 50 - 70 liters of water with a density of 1.022 - 1.025 and a pH of 8.1 - 8.3 is enough. The water temperature should be between 25 - 27 degrees. Change up to 10% of water must be carried out 4 times a month, or 20% - twice a month. In order for the fish to hide, it is necessary to place corals and grottoes on the bottom of the aquarium. It is highly desirable to land sea anemones before their settlement. You can feed shrimp, squid, shellfish, frozen mixtures of seaweed and meat several times a day in small portions.

Compatibility and diseases

Clowns are peaceful fish.

However, in the struggle for a place in an anemone, they become very aggressive, especially females. The clown fish gets along well with blennies, cardinals, gobies, chromis, butterfly fish.

For successful development and reproduction, it is necessary:

• keep clown fish in pairs, flocks, and especially aggressive ones - separately;
• they can be kept in the same aquarium with fish of other genera and species of comparable size that are not predatory;
• observe the hygiene of the aquarium.

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