Menoturals; Fish On Friday

It's Final Friday Feature and Nature Friday time again! That day when two memes meet at the end of each month. As I have mentioned more than once, I took LOTS of photos when visiting Hazlehead Park, and most were from the Pets Corner minizoo. There are so many, in fact, that I am going to stretch them out a bit.

Let's begin with two related fish (by name at least), both of which hail from the norther regions of South America.

I introduce you to the Plecostomus - or as it is most commonly called, the Pleco. Other names are Cleaner Fish, Armoured Catfish (due to strong plating along the dorsal), Janitor Fish... and Suckermouth. That last one becomes clear when I show you this...

Yes, indeed! These busy workers like to keep the tank tidy by nibbling away at all the algae that can build up on the walls. They also like to nibble plants (as seen in the top photo) and crustaceans, making them omnivorous. These fish also have air-breathing gills. If they feel the water they are in has insufficient oxygen for their needs, they will rise to the surface and gulp fresh air.

Large tanks are required, though. Often, aquarists are caught out, buying Plecos when they are small and not quite realising that they can grow as much as 20 inches in length. Sadly, this has meant that in some areas, wild release (illegal, but so is fly tipping, and don't get me started on that monstrous behaviour) has resulted in river infestations. In SE Asia, they are classed as invasive, and it is encouraged to actively remove them from rivers and ponds or lakes.

Here, in the tanks of a wee Aberdeen pet zoo, though, they are charming and entertaining! Come back tomorrow to see the little video of this chap at work (with some of his tank mates cheering him on).

This second fellow is the Red-tail Catfish, which is another that is usually sold small and without warning as to the potential size. In the wild, they grow as much as six feet in length! The average, though, is around four feet, though this is still beyond most private tanks. This again results in wild release.

Unlike other, bottom-dwelling catfish species, the redtail is an active swimmer, and does not lie in wait on the river bottom to ambush passing prey. The redtail catfish is also not a picky eater, known for consuming anything that fits into its mouth. Meals range from other types of fish, crustaceans, aquatic worms, and even amphibians, such as frogs, to fallen fruits, seeds and tree nuts, such as those of palms or Ficus. In captivity, it has been reported that the redtail catfish will eat dry cat food.

The specimen seen here is likely a juvenile, as it does not display the adult characteristic of yellow flanks and cheeks. It was housed with a Carp of a similar size. The Clown Loach, seen in the next photo, should be on its guard as the Catfish may see it as prey! These might be considered the Labrador dogs of the fish world... and their tanks should not contain any item that might be gorged and then regurgitated (such as plastic castles or fake ferns...) Hope you've enjoyed this introduction to aquarium species!