The family of dendritic fish (scientific name Acanthuridae) – this alludes to its recognizable characteristic, the “scalpel” at the base of its tail. This family has about 82 species in 6 genera, and they all live in tropical areas of the oceans, often around corals. So what is a spiny fish? Interesting things to “bag” before breeding fish. Let’s find out through the next article.
What is a spiny fish?
The spiny fish (Acanthuridae) is a family of fish in the wolf order. they live near coral reefs in the Indian and Pacific Oceans.
This species has one or more sharp, scalpel-like spines on both sides of the fish’s tail. mouth small fish dorsal, anal and caudal large, extending most of the body length of this fish is rather flattened, constant color from small to adult, a relatively small size with a maximum body length of 15-40, this species is omnivorous, feeds. mainly on benthic algae. They usually move and feed in packs.
How many types of spiny fish are there?
There are 3 types of dendrites that are commonly cultivated: Powder blue tang, Vlamingii tang (Naso Vlamingii), Yellow Tang (Zebrasoma flavescens)
– Blue dendritic fish, they stand out with black, yellow and blue stripes on the body, long black stripes that extend from the eyes to the tail, with many different names, such as: blue snapper, blue spiny fish, dendrites colorful, king tang. , hippo tang, etc.
The Yellowtail fish is a saltwater fish in the Acanthuridae family. Adult fish can be up to 20 cm long, bright yellow, males are larger than fish
– The spinytail fish Vlamingii Tang has the scientific name of Naso vlamingii, the fish is purple in color, its natural food is algae “Algae”.
Interesting secrets of spiny fish
In an interview, the biologist Culun Brown said that this fish has an extremely important role in the marine ecosystem. “They prevent the coral from growing.”
I’m curious about the fish that sounds dangerous but is kept in such a popular way? The information below will reveal some interesting things about this spiny fish.
Angel Fish of the sea
The first interesting thing is that, since the famous cartoon “Finding Nemo” appeared, this fish is often called “Dory fish” by children – an extremely cute name different from its appearance, its ferocity.
This line of thorn fish is ranked only after the angel line because they also have very attractive colors that make many people feel excited. It is the black, yellow and blue stripes that blend prominently on the bottom of the smooth body.
Recognition of characteristics
Different from other aquarium fish, the unique characteristic of the Spinach family is one or more spikes that look like a scalpel and are very sharp on both sides of the fish’s tail. The fish has large dorsal, anal and caudal fins, which extend almost the entire length of the body. The mouth of the fish is small and has a row of teeth used to eat algae.
This fish has a deep compressed body with eyes high on its head and long bones. Most species of the Spinyx family are relatively small in size with a maximum body length of 15-40 cm. However, some members of the genera Acanthurus, Prionurus and most members of the genus Naso can be larger, of which the species Naso annulatus can reach 1m (the largest of the family). Because these fish grow quickly, it is important to check the average adult size and the adaptability of the fish before introducing the fish to the aquarium.
Most surgeons say that aquarium fish have a long beak, which contains grass on benthic algae or zooplankton or detritus. When moving quickly, their sharp spines can injure other fish. It is interesting that many species have bright colors and are popular aquarium fish.
The behavior of the spiny fish
Blue sharks specialize in coral reefs and sleep in small crevices at night to protect themselves from predators, according to the Florida Museum. This fish goes through three stages of development. At first they are bright yellow when young. They then turn to a mixture of yellow and blue in the near-adult stage. When ripe, they are dark blue or purplish blue with a yellow tail. The blue spiny fish can reach a length of 25 cm and is common on the South American coast.
How can I spin the fish?
Spawning takes place during the afternoon and evening. That’s when its color goes from a uniform dark green to a light blue.
Sometimes the dendrites just forage, but more often they move and feed in schools. Foraging in groups is thought to be a mechanism that helps the fish overcome the fierce resistance of the “virgin fish” of the Thia family, which try to protect the pieces of algae on the coral reefs.
Notes when caring for spiny fish
Feeding the dendrites
Dendrites are particularly fond of seaweed, wild seaweed and other processed foods. We can add more live rock in the tank, maybe they will be their extra meals. Adding live rock or coral will boost the fish’s immune system, improve their health and reduce their temper. We need to provide a varied menu and enrich it with algae to prevent the loss of color in this fish.
The environment in the dendritic aquarium
Note that this line of stickleback is usually quite aggressive, it doesn’t get along well with other species unless your tank is really big, 100 gallons (379 liters) or more. If you really want to create a lot, you can try to shoe at the same time.
But you need to have a plan ready to separate. This tang is one of the gentlest of the family and can be intimidated by other tangs that enter the tank first. Violent competition can be caused not only by the size of the tank, but also by the order in which it is placed.
Be careful when catching this tang with a net, because they can easily get caught in the net. If this happens, slowly and slowly shake the net in the water tank. Eventually they will release their fins and exit the net.
Disease prevention measures for sticklebacks
They are a popular aquarium fish, but dendrites are sensitive fish, prone to infections. Therefore, you need to take the appropriate precautions and use a quarantine tank before introducing it into the main tank. Keep it in this disease tank for about 2 weeks and watch for obvious marine fish diseases, such as marine ich.
The article is just sharing with you useful information about spiny fish. I hope to add to you a good knowledge.
Please see more: What is Angel Fish? “Pocket” excellent care and breeding techniques