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Basic Fish Anatomy – what The Heck Is A Peduncle!

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I’ve read too many articles by ardent fish hobbyists to not have to know the basics of fish anatomy. If you own a fish or would like to and ever want a conversation with someone who understands the animal then it will probably help for you to understand these terms of fish anatomy.

This guide is basically for anyone interested in knowing the labels of the basic body parts of a fish; the “heads, shoulders, knees and toes” of the animal.

So without further ado, let’s get to it:

The Operculum – Latin for “little lid” the operculum is the flap of skin that covers the gills and may move when the fish is breathing. It is what generally marks the end of a fish’s head and the beginning of its body. If enflamed it will flare (remain open) and this may be a sign that your fish has a parasite.

The Dorsal Fin – The dorsal fin follows the line of your fish’ back and is mainly for stability. It is also used by your fish in turning. Some fish will have dorsal spines that are used for protection in the wild. Often there is a second dorsal fin to a fish.

The Adipose Fin – This is not found on many fish but if you have a catfish you will be able to see it. It is a very small find behind the dorsal fin.

The Caudal Fin – This is the large fin at the back, the fish-tail.

The Caudal Peduncle – A peduncle is a mass of tissue that joins something to the body so the caudal peduncle is the bit nearest the body that joins the caudal fin. See, that wasn’t so hard, was it!

Anal Fin This is just what it sounds like; fins near the fish’s anus.

Pelvic Fin – This fin should be on the bottom of the fish fairly near below the operculum. They are used for direction and turning.

Pectoral Fin – If your fish has one it will be located on the side, just behind the operculum.

OK now that we’ve covered the basics of the outside, I am going to describe a little of what is inside your fish. Don’t worry; we’re only covering the absolute basics.

Swim Bladder – One thing that fish have that we don’t. It is a gas filled sac that the fish uses to control its depth in the water. When it wants to descend in the water it simply empties its swim bladder of air. It has expandable walls so that it can fill to allow air in for surfacing.

Gonads – These are basically the testicules or ovaries of your fish and they are both located inside of it. When the time is right they either secrete sperm or ova.

Teeny Tiny Brain – Look at any cross-section of a fish’s body and you will see that the brain really is tiny in comparison with its body and the relative size of ours. This has led some people to come to the inclusion that fish cannot feel pain and yet we know that they have memories of up to three month and can be reliably trained.

Anyway, I hope you have found this article to be of some use to you.

If you are a fish owner or this has sparked your interest then you may be in need of some aquarium-related products online. If so I highly recommend http;//www.desertcoralaquatics.com

Which Red Sea Max Aquarium Is Right For You

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There are now three models in the Red Sea Max range, but price and size aside, how do they differ and which one should you choose?

Red Sea Max 130D
The Red Sea Max 130D replaces the original 130 and, as the name suggests, holds around 130 litres of water. It features a long list of improvements over the original 130 and despite some minor annoyances it remains a solid, stylish tank that works well.

These tanks are designed with simplicity in mind and are very easy to set up and maintain, even if you have no prior experience with marine fish or reef keeping.

Like all models in the range, the 130D is solidly-built and has a quality feel to the plastic, glass and cabinet.

All of the electrics – various water pumps, heaters and the power compact lighting – is neatly hidden away and runs from a series of waterproof switches. There’s also a timer to turn the lights on and off.

There’s plenty of flow (though you might want to increase this if you keep corals) and the skimmer is OK, if a little on the fiddly side to adjust.

The only real drawback with this model are the hood cooling fans which require annual replacement to keep them quiet and the need to keep the tank regularly topped up with RO water to prevent tiny bubbles appearing in the water.

Red Sea Max 250
The Red Sea Max 250 is the middle-sized model and it’s a better bet if you want a fancier tank or larger fish. It’s really just a scaled up version of the 250, and packs in an extra 120 litres of water into a footprint that’s not too much larger.

The Red Sea Max 250, like the other models, comes in silver, black and white and it’s a doddle to maintain and really easy to set up and get looking good.

This one in particular makes a great first tank for the fishkeeper who wants to get stuck into marines – and it’s much more upgradeable and future-proof than the smaller, more restricting 130 or 130D.

This model has a recommended retail price of 1599.99, but you can pick them up for 1299.99 or less from online retailer Swell UK at www.swelluk.com.

Red Sea Max 500
The Red Sea Max 500 is the latest addition to the range and was first shown off at the Interzoo trade show in Germany in 2010.

This model has not yet gone on sale, but if the design remains unchanged from the model exhibited at Interzoo it will hold 500 litres and be lit by a luminaire containing 10 54 watt T5 bulbs. Sadly, there don’t look like there will be any LEDs here…

Turnover is expected to be around 12,000 lph and the tank will include an integrated multi-chamber sump housing a Red Sea C-Skim protein skimmer and a 300w heater thermostat.
It’s expected to have a recommended retail price of around 3000 when it finally goes on sale.