What do glass knife fish eat?

How long does a glass knife live?

In nature these fish eat crustaceans, insects and smaller fish. The male Glass Knife can reach up to about 17 1/2 inches (45 cm), though females are smaller at not quite 8 inches ( (20 cm). They have a lifespan of about 3 – 6 years.

How many knifefish should I buy?

These are all basically peaceful fish but the two Brown Knifefish may get aggressive with each other as they age, so you may just want one one of those. The Glass Knifefih actually do well in a group, and five is the suggested number. I just bought one of these fish, and it seems to get along with all of my fish, even my pictus cat.

Do fish have scales in the ocean?

Fish swimming in fast moving waters tend to have smaller scales than fish that swim in slow moving waters. Puffers and porcupine fish have spines that are really just modified scales. Some fish have no scales at all. The ocean sunfish, or mola mola, is covered with a layer of mucous for protection rather than scales.

How do you treat a knifefish?

Knifefish are prone to skin flukes such as the Ich disease. Your fish will start to itch and rub themselves around the tank, however with the right treatment they should heal quickly. Raise the temperature up to 86°F if you spot any infection.

Can knifefishes spawn in aquariums?

Knifefishes are commercially bred in large fish farms in Asia and are highly unlikely to spawn in the home aquarium. African Knifefishes, Barred Knifefishes, Black Ghost Knifefishes, Clown Knifefishes, Zebra Knifefisesh, etc.

Can you eat smooth trunk fish?

In some regions, the smooth trunkfish is caught for human consumption. It is also sometimes kept in reef aquaria. Caution needs to be u however as it produces a toxic substance, ostracitoxin, in mucous secretions from the skin.

What to do if your knifefish is itchy?

Knifefish are prone to skin flukes such as the Ich disease. Your fish will start to itch and rub themselves around the tank, however with the right treatment they should heal quickly. Raise the temperature up to 86°F if you spot any infection.

How does the spotted trunkfish move?

Because of the heavy armoured scales, the spotted trunkfish is normally limited to slow movements, performed by rippling its dorsal and anal fins and gently beating its pectoral fins. If faster motion is required, it can additionally use the tail fin for propulsion.

How do trunkfish protect themselves?

Trunkfish all have strong hexagonal bone plates which unite to make a very rigid structure over the body that only allows for the tail, jaw and fin bases to move (Rosenberg, 2014). The rigid structure acts as a protective shield and protects the trunkfish from predators (Switchzoo, 2016), but as a result the fish is not very fast.

What type of scales do sharks have?

Cartilaginous fishes ( sharks and rays) are covered with placoid scales. Some species are covered instead by scutes, and others have no outer covering on part or all of the skin. Fish scales are part of the fish’s integumentary system, and are produced from the mesoderm layer of the dermis, which distinguishes them from reptile scales.

Do cuttlefish defend themselves against predators?

That idea needs testing but certainly, they were the only predators that made the cuttlefish drop all regular activity and immediately start defensive behaviours. This isn’t the first time that cuttlefish have demonstrated their ability to discriminate between predators and defend themselves accordingly.

How does a cuttlefish hide itself?

This skill can be used to hide themselves from sight, but they can also use it to make themselves exceptionally visible. If a small fish passes by, young cuttlefish will flatten their bodies to make themselves look bigger and suddenly flash two dark “eye-spots” on their backs and a black ring around their mantle (see video below).

Why are flatfish always belly-side down?

Whenever flatfish are being sold in a fish market, they are always presented belly up with their eyed-side down, because instinctively people are somewhat repulsed and will not purchase fish that have two-stereoscopic predatory eyes on the same side of their body. All clean birds, insects, and mammals have eyes on the opposite sides of their heads.

Why are there different types of spotted boxfish?

T he White spotted boxfish (Ostracion meleagris) is also known as the spotted boxfish, blue boxfish and black boxfish. The variation in names is because that the fish has strong sexual dimorphism, the male and female have very different colouration. This can be seen in the image of the male above and the female below.

Are trunkfish poisonous?

The spotted trunkfish, like all trunkfish of the genus Lactophrys, secretes a colourless toxin from glands on its skin when touched. The toxin is only dangerous when ingested, so there is no immediate harm to divers. Predators however, as large as nurse sharks, can die as a result of eating a trunkfish.

What is a spotted trunkfish?

The spotted trunkfish ( Lactophrys bicaudalis) is a member of the family Ostraciidae. It can be found in reefs throughout the Caribbean, as well as the south western Atlantic Ocean. The species gets its name from the black spots it has covered over its whitish or yellow-golden body.

What is the biology of the smooth trunkfish?

Biology. The smooth trunkfish is normally solitary but sometimes moves around in small groups. It uses its protuberant lips to expel a jet of water which disturbs the sandy seabed and reveals any shallowly buried benthic invertebrates. It feeds on small molluscs, polychaete worms, acorn worms, peanut worms, small crustaceans,…

What kind of fish is a trunkfish?

trunkfish (boxfish) Marine fish that lives in temperate and tropical waters. Its body is almost triangular when seen from the front, with a broad flat ventral region tapering to a narrow dorsal region. Length: to 50cm (20in). Family Ostraciontidae; genus Lactophrys. Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

What kind of fish has slimy scales?

Hagfish are infamous for their slimy coating, while seahorses and some types of catfish have bony plates. Some fish which appear to be scaleless, such as sharks, actually have almost microscopic scales. 1. Can you eat fish scales? Yes, with some fish.

What is the evolutionary advantage of shark scales?

The shape and positioning of these shark scales give them two evolutionary advantages. First, thinner, ridged dermal denticles allow for drag reduction, which means some sharks can cut through water faster and easier than other fish.

What is the function of placoid scales in sharks?

Placoid scales are packed tightly together, supported by spines, and grow with their tips facing backwards. This gives the fish’s skin a rough feel. The function of these scales is for protection against predators. In some sharks, they may also have a hydrodynamic function, helping them swim more efficiently and quietly.

Why do different fish have different types of scales?

Different species of cartilaginous fish support their scales with unique spines based on the shape and role of the fish. A species can be identified by the shape of its scales. Because rays are flat and sharks are more angular, the spines of their placoid scales are slightly different to allow both fish to swim quickly.

How do fish fight viruses and bacteria?

They produce antibodies that detect and bind to substances invading the body, like viruses and bacteria, and instruct white blood cells to destroy them. Just like in humans, it’s possible to vaccinate a fish against future infections by exposing them to a less virulent strain of a disease-causing microbe.

Do cuttlefish camouflage?

This means that cuttlefish camouflage strategies leave their predators with only brightness as a method for prey identification. The team’s findings strongly support that cuttlefish can produce color-coordinated camouflage on natural substrates despite lacking color vision.

Why do Cuttlefish change color?

Cuttlefish change color and pattern (including the polarization of the reflected light waves), and the shape of the skin to communicate to other cuttlefish, to camouflage themselves, and as a deimatic display to warn off potential predators.

How do cuttlefish defend themselves?

Cuttlefish have many defences and the most impressive of these is the ability to rapidly change the colour, pattern and texture of their skins. This skill can be used to hide themselves from sight, but they can also use it to make themselves exceptionally visible.