Fish Flashcards
Agnatha
jawless fish ex: hagfish, lampreys
Chondrichthyes
cartilaginous fish ex: sharks, rays
Osteichthyes
“bony fish”, ex: trout, salmon, goldfish
Temperate freshwater fish
goldfish, koi
Tropical freshwater fish
guppies, cichlids, tetras
Tropical saltwater fish
clownfish
Flagellates
Hexamita, Spironucleus
-infest skin, gills, muscle & GI tract
-”hole-in-the-head disease”
-diagnosis: skin scrape, gill biopsy
-treated with metronidazole
Cilliates
Ichthyophthirius multifilis
-aka Ich, ick or white spot
-infects skin & gills causing white cottony lesions
-diagnosis: skin scrape, gill biopsy
-treat tank with malachite green
Husbandry related disease
Poor Water Quality: high ammonia or nitrite, low oxygenation, crowding
-symptoms: lethargy, gasping for air at surface, hemorrhage in fins, ragged fins
*Dropsy: edema of the coelom, multiple causes
-symptoms: “pine cone” appearance
*Scoliosis: curvature of spine; bacterial infection, poor nutrition, trauma, genetics
*Swim bladder disease: inability to dive, tipped to 1 side
-caused by blockage in tube between stomach & swim bladder, infection, trauma
-treatment: thawed frozen peas (changes amount of gas in GI tract) for blockage, antibiotics for infection
-can live this way as long as they can eat
Venipuncture
caudal tail vein
Injection sites:
-IM: epaxial muscles
-ICe: intracoelomic, ventrally between pectoral & pelvic fins
Medicated baths;
-medication is dissolved into water, fish is placed in the medicated water for a certain amount of time daily. Easiest with small fish.
-gill biopsy:
awake or under sedation, checking for parasites & bacteria
skin scrape & touch smears
checking for parasites & bacteria
commercially available anesthetic powder.
MS-222
It is acidic when mixed, sodium bicarbonate is added to buffer the solution to an appropriate pH for the species.
Blood flow through heart and gills
Sinus venosus
Atria
Ventricle
Bulbus arterios
ventral aortagillsdorsal aortaoxygenated blood to body
dorsal fin
single fin, used to stabilize fish during swimming; sometimes used in courtship (guppies)
-pectoral fin
paired, just below operculae, used for stopping & turning; sometimes used for “walking” (mud puppies)
pelvic fin
paired, behind the pectoral fins, also used for stopping & turning; sometimes develop into sucker (gobi)
-anal fin
single fin, ventral caudal to cloaca, stabilizes fish; can be modified in male guppies to allow internal fertilization
-caudal fin
: single fin, “tail”, used for propulsion; only fin controlled by the spine
Swim Bladder
*Gas filled organ, which aids in buoyancy. Two ways for air to get into the bladder:
-connection
-gas gland
replicate their natural environment:
Requirements
natural temperature
-salinity
-communal vs aggressive fish
-hiding places: plants, pots; should be smooth to avoid damaging scales & skin
*All tanks need a filtration system, temperature gauge +/- water heater & aeration (pump to add air into waterdissolved oxygen available for fish)
Forms of food
Pelleted or flaked: depends on the species & fish preferences, usually a complete diet
-Freeze dried: easy to store, not usually a complete diet
-Frozen: usually whole fish, shrimp or worms in a cube
-Live: whole foods (fish, worms), usually complete diet, can create increased waste in the tank
Water Quality Checks Include
Owners should be checking pH, temperature, ammonia, nitrates, nitrites, hardness & alkalinity
Nitrogen Cycle
Fish excrete ammonia as their waste product, which is toxic in high levels.
*Nitrosomas, a type of nitrogen fixing bacteria, breaks down the ammonia into nitrite, which is also toxic to fish.
*Nitrobacter, another type of nitrogen fixing bacteria, breaks down the nitrite to nitrate, which fish can tolerate better.
*Anaerobic bacteria then turn the nitrate into nitrogen gas which evaporates from the tank.
