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OTHERS
PANTODONTIDAE FAMILY
The Pantodontidae or Butterfly fish family consists of a single species which is distributedin tropical West Africa. The Pantodontidae family is part of the order Osteoglossiforms (and thus is related tothe Osetoglossidae family).
Butterfly fish
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Pictures
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Pantodon buchholzi
SYN
: None
PD
: The butterfly fish is bird-shaped with a flat dorsal surface. The wing-like pectoral fins are verylarge when compared with overall body size. The large mouth points toward the surface. The base body color is brownwith an irregular pattern of white and black spots and stripes.
SIZE
: 4" (10 cm)
SS
: None
HAB
: Slow and still moving water with dense shore vegetation in West Africa;
Nigeria
,
Cameroon
,and Zaire.
S
: top
TANK
: A 30" (76 cm) or 20-25 gallon (95 L) tank is sufficient. Use a cover of floating plants and dimlighting. The tank should be arranged in dark colors and heavily planted. There should be 4-6" (10-15 cm) of spaceleft between the surface and the tank lid. A tight-fitting cover is required for this species which prefers ashallow tank with a large surface area.
WATER
: pH 6-7.5 (6.5); 2-10 dH (3); 75-86°F (24-30°C)
SB
: This species should only be kept with larger, peaceful fish of the lower swimming levels. Thisspecies may be aggressive towards others of itsown species, and is perhaps best kept singly.
SC
: Medium sized Mormyrids, African Knifefish, large Congo Tetras,
Synodontis,
African tetras, West Africancichlids
FOOD
: Small fish; insects; flies, spiders, crickets, meal worms; mosquito larvae; brineshrimp; acclimated specimen may accept flakes
SEX
: The male has an anal fin with a curved, even cleft, edge; while the female has straight-edgedanal fin.
B
: The tank should have a pH of 6.5, a water hardness from 8-10 dH, and a temperature from79-84°F (26-29°C). Adding peat to the filter and feeding the pair a variety of food will help initiate spawning. Threeto seven eggs are deposited at each pairing. The eggs float to the surface where they turn black after 10 hours. Thefish will spawn a total of 100-250 eggs. Transfer the eggs to a breeding tank. The fry hatch after 36-42 hours andare very difficult to raise. The fry will not chase food, but only eat what passes directly in front of them.
BP
: 8. This species is difficult to breed, and the young are even harder to raise.
REMARK
S
: A crepuscular species that is active mostly at dusk. The Butterfly fish is well-known forits ability to glide for short distances through the air. When startled this species may leap against theaquarium cover.
DC
: 6. This species requires frequent partial water changes and a diet including live foods. TheButterfly fish will eat smaller companions and is intolerant of other surface fish. Due to its leaping ability, this speciesmust be kept intank having a tight-fitting cover.
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Recent news
Governments, public failing to save world's species
(11/04/2009)
According to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) 2008 report, released yesterday, 36 percent of the total species evaluated by the organization are threatened with extinction. If one adds the species classified as Near Threatened, the percentage jumps to 44 percent—nearly half.
Atlantic bluefin tuna should be banned internationally: ICCAT scientists
(10/29/2009)
Scientists with the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tuna (ICCAT) have said in a new report that a global ban on Atlantic bluefin tuna fishing is justified. ICCAT meets in November to decide if they will follow their scientist's recommendations.
The Yangtze River may have lost another inhabitant: the Chinese paddlefish
(10/22/2009)
In December of 2006 it was announced that the Yangtze River dolphin, commonly known as the baiji, had succumbed to extinction. The dolphin had survived on earth for 20 million years, but the species couldn't survive the combined onslaught of pollution, habitat loss, boat traffic, entanglement in fishing hooks, death from illegal electric fishing, and the construction of several massive dams. Now, another flagship species of the Yangtze River appears to have vanished.
Freshwater species worse off than land or marine
(10/15/2009)
Scientists have announced that freshwater species are likely the most threatened on earth. Extinction rates for freshwater inhabitants are currently four to six times the rates for terrestrial and marine species. Yet, these figures have not lead to action on the ground.
New species of ghostshark discovered off California's coast
(09/22/2009)
The discovery of Eastern Pacific black ghostshark Hydrolagus melanophasma is notable for a number of reasons. It is the first new species of cartilaginous fish—i.e fish whose skeletons are made entirely of cartilage, such as sharks, rays, and skate—to be described in California water since 1947. It is also a representative of an ancient and little-known group of fish.
Photos: new deep sea species discovered off the Canary Islands
(09/21/2009)
Owned by Spain, but located just off the northwest coast of Africa, the Canary Islands sport a wide variety of marine life, including five species of marine turtles, ten species of sharks and rays, and innumerable fish and invertebrates. However, a new expedition has gone beyond the known, sending a robot to depths of 500 meters to discover the secrets of the Canary Island's deep sea.
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