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ENCYCLOPEDIA OF FAMILIES OF FISH

Chetyrehzubye (Tetraodontidae)

Funny fish with moving and expressive eyes are closely related to marine chetyrehzubymi. They are the best eaters of snails, which you can imagine. His outstanding abilities they owe a special body structure and jaw. Quickly, quickly they are able, raking pectoral fins, come close to the victim and at the first opportunity to grab it with his tiny, but provided with crushing plates mouth. In a moment of danger they may inflate like a balloon to show the enemy "too big to devour." The trade often include two types: green (Tetraodon fluviatilis) and vosmerochny (T steindachneri.) Tetraodony.

Tetraodon fluviatilis

Tetraodon steindachneri

As it became known after the last revision (Dekkers), the second is often sold under the name T. palembangensis. Green tetraodon has two subspecies: T. f. fluviatilis and T. f. sabahensis (the latter got its name from the province of Sabah in northeast Borneo). Both subspecies are distinguished by individual saddle stripes running across the back. View T. nigrovidris decorated with a dot pattern, but it is also often confused with T. fluviatilis. All of these species can grow to 6 - 7 cm, but life in the aquarium dolro not stand. Often they run there only to kill snails and "after work" again removed, because they start nibbling the fins of other fish. Dry food they do not eat, and eat only meat food (see below). To keep chetyrehzubov need not very small aquarium and built of stones (with caves), as well as a moderate amount of plants at the edges. Water can not be too soft; sea ​​salt must be added to it (3 - 4 teaspoons per 10 liters). Species Aquarium has great advantages, but only shelter there should be a sufficient number, because these fish often attack each other. Their homeland - the coastal Southeast Asia area. Tempeoatura water may be from 22 to 26 °. Depending on the size of their own, they can take large or small pieces of food. In addition to the usual live food they should give heart crushed and chopped liver. Snails from which want to get rid of other aquarists can also be run in an aquarium, but from time to time it is necessary to remove from the bottom of an empty shell. In addition to these species chetyrehzubyh there are others that appear on sale quite often, or, on the contrary, is very rare. Usually they come to us as a "complement", in the same package with other fish. Kutkutya (T. Cutcutia) comes from the coastal waters of India, Ceylon, Burma and Bangladesh. This fish is very easy and simple in appearance, and for the maintenance of the aquarium.

Tetraodon cutcutia

In Asia, there is also another kind, called by different names: T. so mphongsi, Carinofetraodon chlupatyi, T. werneri (nomen nudum), Monotreta car ia and M. tiranti. They are all wrong! Including Carinofetraodon somphongsi - name, until recently considered to be valid. Revision 1975 (Dekkers) has shown that since 1885 the only correct name of this fish - Tetraodon lorteti Tirant, dwarf tetraodon. Differences between the sexes can be installed together on the color of male and female; besides, there are other forms of the color red-eyed Asian. Pisces of both sexes grow up to 6 cm. Round tail fin of males is decorated with white edging, followed by a dark zone begins again.

Tetraodon lorteti, male

Researcher Richter described the spawning of these fish: males produce asylum, and then guard the eggs. These fish, as mentioned above, can proliferate in the aquarium environment. Tetraodon steindachneri still met in West Malaysia, Thailand and Borneo; this chetyrehzuba, if not to stare, and you can actually easily be confused with T. palembamgensis - under this name, and it was described in many works. The size of these fish -. About 6 cm Tetraodon leiurus (. T leiurus) bite very hard. The lower side of the body at the height of the anal fin is decorated with red small spot. I caught these fish in a creek in southern Thailand; the water is very soft (2 ° dH), pH (6.5) indicates a mild acidity; in the same water, and I saw other fish: Rasbora hengeli, Kryptopterus bicirrhis, Trichopsis vittatus - and representatives of other families. As I have found there are found the fish length is only 6 - 7 cm, although usually write that chetyrehzuby grow to 11-13 cm One of them described under the name of T. leiurus brevirostris (Beni, 1957) and T. ocellaris (Klausewifz, 1957. ), and in fact he has for many years had a different scientific name: T. fangi (Pellegrin / Chevey, 1940), it became clear that only in 1975 (Dekkers) the last revision.

Tetraodon leiurus

T. fangi - not a very beautiful fish. Attention is drawn to a dark spot in the lower part of the body at the level of the anal fin, and a semicircular protruding forward cornea. This species is found in Southeast Asia (from Thailand to Vietnam); its size - about 6 cm Bronze honerin (Chonerhinus modestus) -. it is one of the most loved by hobbyists, but, alas, all too rarely imported representatives of some kind. His m eating do not decorate pattern. Both he and strongly reminiscent of his S. naritus live in Southeast Asia; in length they can reach 12-14 cm.

Chonerhinus modestus

From chetyrehzubov found in Africa basically three known species. Nile tetraodon or fahaka pufferfish (T. fahaka) spread from West Africa to the Nile; for aquarium it is too long: 40 cm, but even bigger tetraodon MBU (T. mbu):. is usually credited with a final length of 75 cm, but in aquariums (demonstration), he did not reach it. This species (as named below) living in the middle and lower reaches of the Zaire River and its tributaries. Reddish tetraodon (T. miurus) drew the attention of a flattened body shape and resembles a marine fish. He has a large head (about 1/3 of the body length). In the aquarium, it appears to be very quarrelsome, almost do not eat snails (in contrast to their relatives), but prefers to destroy the fish, simply biting them. All this means that it can contain only a special tank. The size of the fish - about 15 cm.

	Tetraodon mbu
	Tetraodon fahaka
	Tetraodon miurus

And finally, I would like to mention one more chetyrehzuba native to South America: This puffer fish, parrot, Colomesus psittacus (in Asia like fish called him Chelonodon patoca). Both reach a length of 20 - 30 cm, so the aquarium can contain only juvenile. especially because at times they are available to aquarists specialized trade.

colomesus psittacus