Page 382 - Encyclopedia of Aquarium and Pond Fish, 3rd Edition

380 GLOSSARY

Glossary

Acidic A reading below 7.0 on the Breeding brush An artificial Conditioning Managing the fish Filter bed A layer of substrate
pH scale. spawning medium that is typically and their surroundings to encourage through which water passes during
used in ponds. Fish spawn over the breeding. Conditioning also refers to the filtration process.
Activated carbon A manufactured brush and their eggs attach to its the way in which water is treated to
form of carbon that is highly porous. bristles. The brush is then removed make it safe for the tank occupants. Filter feeder An invertebrate that
from the pond so that the eggs can be feeds by sifting tiny food particles
Adipose fin A small fin between hatched elsewhere in safety. Coral sand Crushed coral, with a from water.
the dorsal and caudal fins, most particle size similar to that of sand.
notable in tetras and other characoids. Breeding trap A device used to Coral sand can be added to the filter Filter medium Any material used
separate a gravid female livebearer to make the water more alkaline. in a filtration system to remove
Adsorption The way that dissolved from other tank occupants. It also waste, or which can be colonized by
waste binds onto the surface of a prevents her from eating her own fry. Crown The central area of a plant, beneficial aerobic bacteria.
filter medium, such as activated from which new growth develops.
carbon, during chemical filtration. Brood The offspring produced by a Filtration The removal of waste
pair of fish; typically a group of fry Cultivar A cultivated example of a from water in aquariums and ponds.
Aeration Adding extra air into that is guarded by one or both adults. plant that does not occur in the wild.
water to improve its oxygen content. The common name is often suffixed Fins The projections on a fish’s body
Brood pouch A pouch on the body by “cv,” meaning “cultivated variety.” that enable it to move through water.
Aerobic bacteria Bacteria that of male sea horses and pipefish, in They are also often used for display
require oxygen to survive. which the eggs are incubated. Cutting Part of a plant that is and even mating purposes.
removed and used for propagation.
Airstone A porous device that splits Bubble nest A nest made by many Flake Manufactured fish food in the
up the airflow from an air pump into anabantoids and some catfish to Dechlorinator A chemical form of thin, waferlike fragments that
small bubbles to improve water protect eggs and fry. It consists of air preparation that removes chlorine- float at the surface. Suitable for both
movement and oxygenation. bubbles trapped in mucus and is based compounds from tap water. freshwater and marine fish.
usually anchored to vegetation.
Algae Primitive aquatic plants Dorsal fin The unpaired fin that Flexible liner A sheet of butyl
that photosynthesize. Cartilage A tough, flexible body runs along the center of the back. rubber or PVC that is used to form
tissue. In some fish, the skeleton is Some fish have a divided dorsal fin. a watertight lining for a pond.
Alkaline A reading that is above 7.0 made entirely of cartilage.
on the pH scale. Ectothermic Describes an animal Flow adjuster A valve that
Caudal fin The tail fin, which is whose internal body temperature regulates the movement of water
Anal fin An unpaired fin on the often divided into lobes. varies according to its surroundings. through a pump.
underside of the body, near the vent.
Caudal peduncle The muscular Egg-layer Any fish in which the Frost-hardy Describes a plant that
Annual A plant that grows, flowers, shaft that links the body of a fish to eggs are fertilized and hatched is able to survive frost unprotected,
sets seed, and dies within a year. the tail (caudal) fin. outside the body. but not extreme cold.

Aquarium peat Peat that can be Chemical filtration The use of Egg spots Egg-shaped markings on Fry Newly hatched or newborn fish.
added to the aquarium filter to chemicals to remove dissolved waste the anal fin of some male cichlids. As
acidify the water. Unlike garden peat, by adsorption. mouth-brooding females nibble at the Genetics The branch of science that
it is free from additives. egg spots, they take in sperm released deals with the way characteristics
Chromosome A gene-carrying by the male, ensuring that the eggs in pass from one generation to the next.
Barbels Sensory growths around the structure found in the nucleus of their mouth become fertilized.
mouths of various bottom-dwelling every living cell. Genes determine the Genital pore An opening on the
fish, including catfish and koi. characteristics of all organisms. Environment A living thing’s underside of the body, marking
surroundings. For a fish, this includes the entrance to the genital tract.
Biological filtration The use of Classification A method of the water, the substrate, and the plants
aerobic bacteria to break down waste grouping living things to show the and animals with which it interacts. Genus (plural genera) A group
matter in aquariums and ponds. relationships between them. of closely related species.
Evolution The origin of species by
Blackwater Water that has been Community tank An aquarium development from earlier forms. Gills The main respiratory organs
acidified and darkened by tannin that houses a number of different yet of a fish, located on each side of the
produced by decaying vegetation. compatible species. Family A group of related genera. head behind and below the eyes. Gills
Blackwater is used to encourage extract dissolved oxygen from water.
spawning in fish such as tetras. Compatibility The degree to Fancy Describes fish that have been
which fish interact favorably with one bred to emphasize ornamental Gonopodium The modified anal
Brackish water A mix of fresh and another; also, the bonding of a pair qualities, such as coloration or fin fin of male livebearers, which is used
salt water found in estuaries. of fish prior to spawning. shape, that are not seen in wild forms. for mating purposes.

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