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Video: The Most Beautiful Aquarium Fish
Since ancient times, man has been attracted by the mysterious underwater world, which is so beautiful and inaccessible. And if the species Homo sapiens did not adapt to stay in the cradle of the water element for a long time without special means, then it (a rational creature) learned to bring a piece of nature into its home.
This is proved by excavations in Egypt and Mexico, where pools and reservoirs, similar to modern aquariums, were discovered. Frescoes and drawings depicting fish and amphibians confirm the fact that fish were kept at home several thousand years before our era.
What attracted our ancestors so much? Undoubtedly, the beauty of shapes and colors, which is so rich in underwater fauna! Nature, as the most talented artist, has decorated the inhabitants of the seas and oceans with the brightest colors, in the palette of which all colors and shades are mixed.
Goldfish are the pioneers of home waters! Their appearance in our world is shrouded in mystery and recorded in legends. The tears of the beautiful girl Tao, whom her lover left, fell into the waters of the lake and became goldfish. Or perhaps this fish is the daughter of the heavenly king, who became angry and turned the miserable one for disobedience, and she had to flee to earth in this form.
So the legends say, but one thing is for sure - the birthplace of goldfish is China. The ancestors of the modern varieties of goldfish are the Chinese goldfish. Surprisingly, the most ugly and unusual individuals with defects in body structure were selected in the breeding work.
So a velvety black telescope with large bulging eyes appeared to the light; snow-white lion head with red curly growths on the head; water eyes with huge (1/4 of the size of a fish) transparent bags around the eyes.
The color options are endless: bright red and white, black and orange, chintz and chocolate. A mixture of all colors, as well as various body and fin shapes.
Another favorite of aquarists is discus. Completely flat disc-shaped body with high dorsal and anal fins, connected at a fan-shaped caudal fin and elongated pelvic fins in braids. This 20-centimeter fish looks royally majestic.
In the natural environment, there are three color varieties: blue, green and brown. The hybrids bred by breeders have such original shades of the main color and patterns that Mother Nature never dreamed of such a thing!
The progenitor of modern forms is the Pigeon Blood discus. It is an exceptional breeding species, crossed with all existing varieties.
As a result, several more basic color forms appeared: cobalt and turquoise, gold and red. Only by describing all the existing shades of discus can you easily create a book dedicated to these handsome men - their diversity is so great.
The most popular in marine aquarism are representatives of the family of surgeon fish (Acanthuridae), angel fish, lionfish, butterfly fish and parrot fish. They are all inhabitants of the tropical waters of the Indian and Pacific Oceans.
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Surgeon fish (Acanthuridae) are grouped into nine genera, in which there are more than seventy species. A distinctive feature of these fish became the basis of the family name. The fact is that the surgeons' caudal peduncle is equipped with two sharp spines located on both sides. They are hidden in a fold of skin and are put forward at the moment of danger, like a weapon - very sharp and dangerous.
The appearance of a flat oval body is characteristic of all individuals, the size is within 60 centimeters, and the color variations include a mixture of blue and yellow, green and orange, in addition, all these colors are lined with horizontal stripes or spots.
Angel fish (Pomacanthidae) with no less bright colors and amazing ornament consisting of straight or winding lines in a contrasting color. Moreover, the fry and adolescents of angel fish, unlike their parents, have a completely different color and only with age acquire species characteristics.
Parrotfish (Scaridae) are distinguished by their large size (in their natural environment up to one and a half meters!), An interesting structure of the jaws and coloration, which really resemble the bird of the same name.
Turquoise and blue, red and orange, green and yellow large scales are similar to plumage. Parrotfish are reef dwellers and the main producers of coral sand. With their strong, lamellar jaws, they grind corals and shellfish shells.
Lionfish from the Scorpaenidae family are colored in reddish-brown tones, but are prized for the beauty of their fins, whose long rays, like huge fans of a Chinese dancer, envelop the body. Despite the fact that poisonous thorns are hidden in these chic decorations, lionfish invariably arouse considerable interest among lovers of marine biotopes.
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The beauty of all these representatives of the marine fauna is a natural gift that improves in the process of evolution. Nevertheless, the efforts of people to breed new species of aquarium fish are amazing and the painstaking work of breeders presents the world with true masterpieces.
But how can you describe the beautiful in words? It must be contemplated. You can watch the most beautiful aquarium fish for hours and never get tired of this activity! As the ancients said: "Hurry to see!"
