Interesting Information about Tropical Fish In 1853, the first tropical public aquarium was opened in Regents Park, London. This was closely followed by Americas first tropical aquarium opened in New York by P.T Barnum and known as Barnum's American Museum. Since then the hobby of tropical fish has grown vastly in popularity.
Tropical fish can be either Saltwater (also known as Marine) or Freshwater species and are available in a huge variety of colors and sizes. Successfully keeping tropical fish is a skill, not all fish are good community fish and different species require a variety of water conditions such as temperature and PH levels.
When selecting fish for your tropical aquarium, it is advisable to do as much research as possible and do not select tropical fish for your tank based on their appearance alone, this can lead to disaster! It is vital to check the PH level of your water on a regular basis to ensure your tropical fish remain healthy.
Different tropical species live at different depths and it is recommended to take this into consideration when selecting species. Tropical fish can be surface, middle and bottom feeders. If in doubt, ask an expert, your local fish shop will be more than happy to help and advise.
Interesting Information and Facts - How do you identify the sex of a particular species? The males and females of many Tropical Fish Species have different colors or different shaped bodies. But there are also other species where there is no visible difference. Its sometimes tricky being an ichthyologist!
Tropical Fish Species - Information about Fins - Did you know that each fin has a specific function?
Tropical Fish Species
The dorsal fin is located on the back of the tropical fish and it helps to keep the fish stable while swimming
Caudal fins are located on the tail area of tropical fishes and they help to propel the fish through the water
The Pectoral fin is located on the breast area of a tropical fish and they are used for locomotion and side to side movement
Fins include: Dorsal, Ventral, Caudal, Anal, Pectoral, Adipose and Cephalic
Interesting Information and Facts - Why do most Tropical Fish Species have gills? Gills enable most tropical fish Species to breathe. Gills consist of thin sheets of tissue containing blood vessels. As water passes over the gills oxygen is absorbed into the blood stream Carbon dioxide passes out into the water. The gills are protected by a large bony plate called an operculum. Some species, however have lungs and breathe air.
InterestingInformation and Facts - Why do different species have fins? Fish usually have seven fins. Each of the fins on a fish are designed to perform a specific function:
Dorsal fins - The dorsal fin is located on the backs of tropical fish. Dorsal fins lend stability in swimming Ventral fins - The ventral fin is located on the pelvic area of tropical fish. Ventral fins lend stability in swimming Caudal fins - The Caudal fin is located on the tail area of tropical fish. Caudal fins propel through the water Anal fins - The Anal fin is located on the anus area of tropical fish. Anal fins lend stability in swimming. Pectoral fins - The Pectoral fin is located on the breast area of tropical fish. Pectoral fins are for locomotion and side to side movement Adipose fins - The Adipose fin is an extra fleshy fin on the back behind the dorsal fin as in salmons, smelts, and lanterns to lend stability in swimming Cephalic fins - The cephalic fin are the "horns" of manta rays and close relations
Tropical Fish Species - Facts Did you know...
Tropical Fish Facts 1: Over 32,000 different species of fish have been identified and more species are being discovered and identified every day!
Tropical Fish Facts 2: The plural of the word fish is fishes, however when describing more than one fish of the same species, the word fish is still used instead of the plural! An example would be 20 tropical fish, not 20 tropical Fishes!
Tropical Fish Facts 3: The Whale Shark is the largest fish in the world
Tropical Fish Facts 4: The Sailfish is the fastest fish in the world
Tropical Fish Facts 5: Some tropical fish are not good for community tanks! Ask your local pet store before you buy new additions for your tropical tank
Tropical Facts 6: The Stygotantulus stock is the smallest Crustacean in the world, measuring less than 0.1mm in length!
Tropical Facts 7: The Indo-Pacific Dwarf Goby (12-19mm long) is the smallest fish in the world
Tropical Facts 8: Someone who studies different Fish Species is called an ichthyologist
There are different tropical fish species found all over the world, we have tried to include as many tropical species as possible on this website
Tropical Fish Species - Tips!
Don't forget that some tropical fish are not good for community tanks! Ask your local pet store before you buy new tropical fish for your tank. Tropical aquariums need filters, pumps and heaters in order to mimic the fishes natural ecosystem. These will need to be cleaned and checked on a regular basis. Before you visit your local pet store consider that keeping tropical fish is something that should be done after considering the cost and time implications! Don't let this put you off, tropical fish keeping is an amazing hobby and there is nothing more therapeutic than watching a tank of beautiful tropical fish.
Tropical Fish Species
Hundreds of Beautiful Tropical Fish Pictures
Check out the tropical fish videos on our YouTube Channel!
Amazing facts about all types of tropical species
Fantastic tropical fish videos!
Information on habitat and specific conditions required for each tropical species
PH levels, Temperature and tank size
Check out the information on each tropical fish species!
