As an avid aquarist and ichthyologist, I have been fascinated by fish for quite some time now. I thought I’d share some of the more beautiful species that I know. These are in no particular order, since beauty is, of course, in the eye of the beholder.
First off, cichlids is pronounced “Sick-Lids”. African Cichlids are fish found in Three lakes in Africa; Malawi, Tanganyika and Victoria. The Victorian Species are less numerous and usually less colorful than the others. These fish usually grow to about six or seven inches long, with the exception of the Frontosoa Species, which grow to about twelve to fourteen inches in length. Fortunately, these fish are freshwater, and easy to raise in a home aquarium, the only requirement being that they have water with a higher pH level and plenty of hiding spots (they can be quite aggressive!). There are also species of Cichlids that live in the Amazon Basin, but these get much larger and are much more aggressive than their African relatives.
Named Parrotfish because of their calcareous bird-like beaks. Parrotfish use these beaks to crush and eat the small invertebrates that live in coral. Much of the sand and sea floor of coral reefs are actually remains of meals from the parrotfish, they chew the coral, eat the invertebrates and spit out the leftover calcium. Like Cichlids, There are many individual species of Parrotfish, with varying degrees of color and patterns.
Ever since “Finding Nemo” came out, these fish are usually referred to as “Dory Fish” by children. Tangs belong to a family of fish called Surgeonfish, who possess a small, retractable calcareous blade toward their tail fin. This blade is mainly used for defense, they extract it and rub against an attacker, in an effort to fend it off.
A small angelfish, usually available at your local pet store, they really are a fish one needs to see in person to have a full appreciation of their color. These fish are usually keepable in any marine aquarium and are very hardy.
A close relative of the Coral Beauty, the Flame Angel has some of the boldest color of any fish I’ve seen. As with the Coral Beauty, these fish are usually easily available and affordable, but from my experience are a bit more fickle than the Coral Beauty.
Yeah sure, most of the Koi you have seen are probably nothing more than orange or white. However, there are many (probably close to or more than 100) color variations of Koi (Just pick up a Koi trader’s magazine the next time you’re at a bookstore). Koi can comer in many colors, including orange, red, white, gold, and black. Certain patterns are sought after by avid Koi collectors, some of whom will pay thousands of dollars for a single fish.
One of the most difficult fish to keep in a home aquarium (and very expensive as well), to most aquarists these fish are the pinnacle of the hobby. You may think you’ve seen them before, but you’re probably getting them confused with another species, the Bannerfish (also known as the False Idol). In eight years of the hobby, I’ve only ever seen these fish for sale in shops on three occasions.
Probably one of my favorite fish of all time, the Lionfish (or Zebrafish) is a fascinating species, and is easy to become mesmerized by one when watching it swim. The spines you see on its back possess a painful and powerful venom. Thankfully the Lionfish is somewhat docile and not a fast swimmer, but all aquarists who own one must take extra care when cleaning their tank.
Another freshwater species, Discus are probably the single most beautiful species of Freshwater fish. They are also probably the most expensive Freshwater species, second only to the Koi or the Arowana. A small 3 inch juvenile can be anywhere from $50-$80. There are many color variations of Discus, most of which are simply breathtaking. Although they are Freshwater species, they do require more experience and care than some Saltwater fish.
A lesser-known species, these are probably the single most colorful and vibrant fish I’ve ever seen. There are two varieties, the standard Mandarinfish and the Psychedelic Mandarin. The standard typically has more interesting patterns and colors than the psychedelic, but both are very beautiful fish. These small fish (usually no more than 6 inches full-grown) usually don’t cost more than $20 for a specimen, but the main problem is feeding them. They only eat small micro-invertebrates that live within live rock in coral reefs. In order to sustain one in a home aquarium, one needs a sufficient amount of live rock that has been in the tank for at least a month prior to introducing the fish. As with some of the other species on this list, one really needs to see this fish in person to witness the amazing vibrance of its color.
Contributor: GhostShip
译文:
10大最美丽的鱼儿【top list】
做为进取的水族馆管理员及鱼类学家，我一直以来对鱼类产生着浓厚的兴趣。我来展示一些我所知道的最漂漂的鱼。在观赏人来看美的顺序会有不同。
10
非洲丽鱼科鱼
首先，丽鱼科鱼发音好像“sick—lids”。非洲丽鱼科鱼可以在马拉维 坦干依克和维多利亚三个湖泊找到。而在维多利亚的数量上会少些，同时色彩会较为单调。这类鱼通常会长到六七英寸长。只有Frontosoa品种是个例外，它则会长到十二到十四英寸。幸运的是，这些鱼是淡水鱼而且在家中水族箱会很好养，唯一的要求不过是水的PH要相应高些，还有就是要多些可躲避的景观（它们有时会很富攻击性的）。在亚马逊河也存在丽鱼科鱼，但是这些较比非洲的亲戚们会大些更有攻击性。
9
隆头鱼
之所以叫隆头鱼，是因为它们钙质鸟装的喙。隆头鱼用这喙来粉碎珊瑚来吃其中的软体动物。大部分的沙子和海底的礁石实际上仍是隆头鱼的食物。它以吞掉珊瑚来捕食其中的软体动物，然后吐出剩余的钙。就像丽鱼科鱼一样，龙头鱼在颜色和图案上也是多种多样的。
8
蓝唐王鱼
自从蓝唐王鱼出现以来，他们经常被孩子们称作是“海鲂鱼”。蓝唐王鱼是刺尾鱼家族中的一员。它尾部末端有可收缩的小钙质刀片。这个刀片主要用来防御，它们亮出家伙已做防御来躲避来袭者。
7
蓝闪电神仙
这是一种在宠物店中常见的扁蛟。它们正是那种需要个人对其多彩的鉴赏的种群。这种鱼在多数海洋水族馆都可以见到而且他们都很耐活。
6
火焰神仙
它同蓝闪电神仙可谓是近邻。其拥有着我前所未见的鲜艳色彩。做为蓝闪电神仙，这些鱼会很容易买到，价钱也很便宜，但据我个人经验来讲，它会更薄命点。
5
锦鲤
啊，是的。你所看到的锦鲤大部分都是红色或白色。但锦鲤有这多样的颜色（可能超过百种）——下回在书店时，你一定要拿本锦鲤饲养员的杂志啊。锦鲤在多种颜色上都很有前景，其中包括橙色.红色.白色.金黄色和黑色。当然，锦鲤的图案会因愿付千元来收购单条鱼的人而被发掘。
4
神像
这是一种家中很难养的鱼，而且价格高昂。对大多数数组关管理员来说，这种鱼实在娇气。也许你认为你在哪里见过这种鱼，那可能是你将它与其他种类的鱼羽毛关刀 混淆了。八年里，我仅在三家店中见过这种鱼。
3
蓑鲉
这大概是我最喜欢的鱼之一了。这是个令人神魂颠倒的物种。在看它游动时，你很容易被催眠。在它背上的尖刺中含着高效令人剧痛的毒液。值得庆幸的是，它比较温顺而且游的并不快。但是，所有的管理员在清理他的箱子时要格外留神。
2
七彩神仙鱼
另一种淡水鱼。七彩仙也许是淡水鱼中最漂亮的了。它也是淡水鱼中最贵的一种了，其价格仅次于锦鲤及龙鱼。一个3英寸的小不点就可以卖到$50-$80。七彩仙的颜色也是不同的，大部分都会使人惊叹。尽管是淡水鱼，它比一些咸水鱼更需要丰富的经验及关怀。
1
麒麟鱼
这是一个很鲜为人知的物种。这也许是我前所未见个体颜色最鲜艳的鱼类。它有两类，一类是标准的麒麟鱼，另一类是舞动的曼达林，但两种都是色彩鲜艳。这种鱼通常最大不过六英寸，标本最贵不过$20，但给他们喂食则是个问题。他们仅吃珊瑚礁里微小的软体生物。然而，为了在家中养一条的话，那就要足够的礁石，并且要在箱中放上至少一个月使鱼适应环境。正因为他同与其他品种的鱼在表单中，你真的要一睹其震撼的颜色。
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