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PERCHES


MONODACTYLIDAE FAMILY
The Monodactylidae or Fingerfish family inhabits brackish water river estuaries and frequently ventures into both fresh and marine habitats. Fingerfish are schooling fish which live in the coastal regions Africa,Southeast Asia, and Australia.

Mono, Fingerfish, False Angelfish, Malaysian Angelfish, Silver Mono [ Pictures ]
Monodactylus argenteus
SYN : Acanthopodus argenteus, Centogaster rhombeus, Centropodus rhombeus, Chaetodon argenteus, Monodactylus rhombeus, Psettus argenteus,P. rhombeus
PD : A tall, disc-shaped fish with lateral compression. The head is small, as is the mouth. The eyes are large and have a black band running through them. The dorsal and anal fins are almost opposite one other and the edge of the caudal fin is straight. The body is silver to white in color while the dorsal and caudal fins are green to orange to yellow. The front edge of the anal fin is black. Young often have a black line running across the gill cover connecting with the black of the anal fin.
SIZE : To 10" (25 cm)
SS : Other Monodactylus species.
HAB : In coastal lakes, estuaries, rivers, and lagoons in fresh, brackish, and sea water. Red Sea, Southeast Asia, Australia, East African Coast. Occasionally inhabits salt water reefs.
S : all
TANK : A tank measuring 36" (91 cm) with a capacity from 35-45 gallons (132-170 L)is sufficient for a single school. Large tanks are recommended. Use a tank with good aeration and plenty of hiding places. Plants tolerant of brackish water may be used, although the Mono may nibble on their leaves. Use a substrate of fine gravel, or preferably coral sand. Use an efficient filter for this greedy eater.
WATER : pH 7-8.5 (7.2), 8-20 dH (10), 75-82°F (24-28°C). A 1-2% addition of salt is suggested. Add 7.5-15 TSP of salt per 10 gallons (10-20 g/10 L).
SB : The Mono can be combined with other large, hardy brackish water species. Small fish may be eaten. Monos are timid and easily frightened, and should not be combined with substantially larger fish. A schooling fish by nature that should be kept in groups of at least five.
SC : Scats, Archerfish, Puffers, Arius
FOOD : Live; small fish, small crabs, shrimp, worms, insect larvae ; pellets; peas; lettuce;spinach; flakes; plant debris.
SEX : Too difficult to distinguish.
B : Unsuccessful in captivity
BP : 10. No reports of captive spawnings.
R :Young can be kept in freshwater, but prefer brackish. As they grow, more salt should be added since adults do best in pure salt water. Young have better colors, which fade with age.
DC : 7. This brackish water species requires frequent partial water changes and live foods.

Striped Mono, Striped Fingerfish, African Angelfish, Seba Mono [ Pictures ]
Psettus sebae
SYN : Monodactylus sebae
PD : A tall, disc-shaped fish with lateral compression. The head is small, as is the mouth. The eyes are large and have a black band running through them. The dorsal and anal fins are almost opposite one other and the edge of the tail is almost straight. The body is silver to white in color while the fins are body colored. The front edge of the anal and dorsal fins is black. This species has a black line running across the gill cover connecting with the black of the anal fin. The back edge of the anal and dorsal fins is also black.
SIZE : To 8" (20 cm)
SS : Monodactylus species.
HAB : In estuaries of Zaire and Senegal rivers on the coast of West Africa.
S : all
TANK : 36" (90 cm) or 35 gallons (132 L). Follow suggestions for M. argenteus .
WATER : pH 7-8.5 (7.7), 12-30 dH (16), 75-82°F (24-28°C). A 3% addition of salt is required. Add 23 TSP. of salt to every 10 gallons of water (30 g/10 L).
SB : As for M. argenteus.
SC : As for M. argenteus.
FOOD : Live; small fish, small crabs, shrimp, worms, insect larvae ; pellets; peas; lettuce;spinach; flakes; plant debris.
SEX : Too hard to distinguish
B :Spawning immediately follows a simple courtship where the male circles the female. About 4, 000 eggs are laid. These hatch in 24-60 hours. Start feeding with newly hatched Brine Shrimp and other small live foods.
BP : 10. Spawning has been accomplished only a few times to date, and few details pertaining to water composition are available.
R : This saltwater species may occasionally visit freshwater habitats and should not be considered a freshwater species.
DC : 8. This species requires brackish or salt water and a regime of frequent partial water changes.



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Recent news

Atlantic sturgeon gains protection under the Endangered Species Act

(02/01/2012) The U.S. federal government has listed the massive and bizarre Atlantic sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus) under the protection of the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Historically overfishing decimated the Atlantic sturgeon, while on-going threats include pollution and infrastructure, like dams and bridges that destroy habitat. Fishing for the Atlantic sturgeon has been banned since 1998, they are still caught as bycatch.


Photos: 46 new species found in little-explored Amazonian nation

(01/25/2012) South America's tiniest independent nation still hides a number of big surprises: a three week survey to the sourthern rainforests of Suriname found 46 potentially new species and recorded nearly 1,300 species in all. Undertaken by Conservation International's (CI) Rapid Assessment Program (RAP) the survey found new species of freshwater fish, insects, and a new frog dubbed the "cowboy frog" for the spur on its heel. While Suriname may be small, much of its forest, in the Guyana Shield region of the Amazon, remains intact and pristine. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimates that 91 percent of Suriname is covered in primary forests, however this data has not been updated in over two decades.


Featured video: tuna industry bycatch includes sea turtles, dolphins, whales

(01/16/2012) A Greenpeace video, using footage from a whistleblower, shows disturbing images of the tuna industry operating in the unregulated waters of the Pacific Ocean. Using fish aggregation devices (FADs) and purse seine nets, the industry is not only able to catch entire schools of tuna, including juvenile, but also whatever else is in the area of the net.


Bycatch-reducing fish trap wins $20,000

(01/11/2012) An innovative fish trap that allows small non-target fish to escape won a new content by RARE Conservation and National Geographic to fund solutions to overfishing. Developed through studies in CuraƧao and Kenya with the Wildlife Conservation Society, the trap has gaps for juvenile fish to swim out of reportedly reducing bycatch by 80 percent. The entry won a $20,000 grant.


World's most expensive tuna

(01/05/2012) A 593 pound Pacific bluefin tuna sold for $735,000 (56.49 million yen) in Tokyo's Tsukiji market today. This beats the previous record price hit last year by over $260,000. Why so expensive? Bluefin tuna, considered the best sashimi and sushi in the world, have been fished to near extinction with the population of the Pacific bluefin the most stable to date.


Top 10 Environmental Stories of 2011

(12/22/2011) Many of 2011's most dramatic stories on environmental issues came from people taking to the streets. With governments and corporations slow to tackle massive environmental problems, people have begun to assert themselves. Victories were seen on four continents: in Bolivia a draconian response to protestors embarrassed the government, causing them to drop plans to build a road through Tipnis, an indigenous Amazonian reserve; in Myanmar, a nation not known for bowing to public demands, large protests pushed the government to cancel a massive Chinese hydroelectric project; in Borneo a three-year struggle to stop the construction of a coal plant on the coast of the Coral Triangle ended in victory for activists; in Britain plans to privatize forests created such a public outcry that the government not only pulled back but also apologized; and in the U.S. civil disobedience and massive marches pressured the Obama Administration to delay a decision on the controversial Keystone XL pipeline, which would bring tar sands from Canada to a global market.



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Copyright Rhett Butler 1994-2009

The copy for fish.mongabay.com was written in 1994-1995. Therefore some information such as scientific names may be out of date. For this, I apologize. Feel free to send corrections to me.