Exam 1 Vocab

Question 1

Absorption

Answer 1

The process of taking in and retaining a substance-the way a dry sponge takes in water. Liquid vitamins added to marine flake act in this manner.

Question 2

Acrylic

Answer 2

A lightweight form of plastic used in the manufacture of molded aquaria.

Question 3

Activated carbon

Answer 3

Material used to remove chemical pollutants from aquarium water by drawing it into its structure. Can inactivate medications, so it is not recommended for treatment tanks

Question 4

Adsorption

Answer 4

The process by which organic molecules are bonded to a medium, such as activated carbon.

Question 5

Aerobic

Answer 5

Requiring oxygen.

Question 6

Airstone

Answer 6

The piece of equipment that breaks up the air drawn into the aquarium via the air pump, releasing it as a constant stream of small bubbles. Can become blocked by debris, affecting its efficiency, and will therefore need to be cleaned or even replaced regularly

Question 7

Algae

Answer 7

Primitive organisms, which may be microscopic or large (E.G.kelp). They have plant characteristics, are almost exclusively aquatic, but do not flower.

Question 8

Alkalinity

Answer 8

Water conditions that exceed a reading of 7.0 on the pH scale.

Question 9

Ammonia

Answer 9

(NH3) A gas that is the first byproduct of decaying organic material; common aquarium sources include fish’s waste and uneaten food. Highly toxic to fish and invertebrates

Question 10

Anaerobic

Answer 10

Not requiring oxygen.

Question 11

Anal fin

Answer 11

A single fin positioned vertically below the fish, near the vent.

Question 12

Asexual reproduction

Answer 12

Reproduction without the fertilization of eggs with sperm, as in corals that “bud off”, with new pieces forming a new colony.

Question 13

Barbel

Answer 13

A whiskerlike growth around the mouth, which helps detect food. Often seen in fish living in dark surroundings, in which it acts as a feeler.

Question 14

Berlin system

Answer 14

A filtration technique using living rock and a powerful protein skimmer only.

Question 15

Biological filtration

Answer 15

A means of filtration using bacteria, Nitrosomonas and Nitrobacter, to change otherwise toxic ammonia into a safer substance such as nitrate

Question 16

Bivalve

Answer 16

A mollusk or shell-dwelling animals with two respiratory valves.

Question 17

Black worm

Answer 17

A type of livefood, known scientifically as Lumbriculus variegated

Question 18

Bleaching

Answer 18

The process by which corals or anemones lose or expel their Zooxanthellae to shock or pollution. They turn a pale color or white.

Question 19

Brackish water

Answer 19

Water that has about 10% seawater; found where freshwater rivers enter the sea

Question 20

Brine shrimp

Answer 20

A saltwater crustacean, Artemia salina, who is dry stored eggs can be hatched to provide livefood for fish or invertebrates

Question 21

Buffer

Answer 21

A chemical that helps maintain the water at a relatively constant pH

Question 22

Buffering action

Answer 22

The ability of a liquid to maintain its desired pH value

Question 23

Byssus gland

Answer 23

A gland found in Bivalve mollusks. It produces sticky attachment threads, helping the animal stay in place and not be swept around by the current.

Question 24

Calcareous

Answer 24

Formed of, or containing, Calcium carbonate, a substance that can help aquarium water maintain a high pH

Question 25

Calcium

Answer 25

And important element found in seawater, the metallic basis of lime.

Question 26

Caudal fin

Answer 26

The fin at the rear of the fishes body, also called the tail or tail fin.

Question 27

Caudal peduncle

Answer 27

The part of a fish joining the caudal fin to the body.

Question 28

Cephalopod

Answer 28

A group of predatory marine mollusks without shells, which often attain a large size. Includes octopuses, squid, cuttlefish, and nautiluses.

Question 29

Cirrus

Answer 29

The bristlelike jointed appendage seen in some fish, such as hawkfish, present on the dorsal fin in this case. The plural is Cirri

Question 30

Communal tank

Answer 30

And aquarium housing either a number of different, unrelated species of fish, or fish and invertebrates.

Question 31

Copepod

Answer 31

A crustacean belonging into the sub class Copepoda. Can be an important source of food for fish and even other invertebrates.

Question 32

Copper

Answer 32

A metal used in copper sulfate form as the basis for Marine aquarium remedies. It is poisonous to fish in excess, and to invertebrates at trace levels.

Question 33

Coral sand

Answer 33

Coral exoskeletons that have been crushed to the consistency of sand.

Question 34

Corallivore

Answer 34

A fish that feeds exclusively on live corals. These fish, including various butterflyfish, are difficult to maintain in the aquarium as a result.

Question 35

Counter-current skimmer

Answer 35

And efficient protein skimmer in which the water flows against a current of air, thereby giving a longer exposure time for collection of waste, or sterilization if Ozone is used.