A Balanced Marine Aquarium [and] The Biology of Marine Aquarium Fishes Collected in Monroe County, Florida. A Two-Paper NOAA Technical Memorandum.

Southeast Fisheries Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, Miami Laboratory, 75 Virginia Beach Drive, Miami, FL 33149.

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90

Animal Behavior; Aquariums; Fishes; Ichthyology; Marine Biology; Resource Materials; Wildlife; Zoology

This document consists of two separate papers. The first paper, "A Balanced Marine Aquarium" (Barbara Jayne Palko), discusses various aspects of a balanced marine aquarium. Information provided includes the basic and optional equipment needed to construct a balanced aquarium, preparations for setting up the aquarium, preparing the aquarium for fish, selecting the fish, and comments on general maintenance, feeding, and medications. The second paper, "The Biology of Marine Aquarium Fishes Collected in Monroe County, Florida" (Deb Hess and John Stevely), provides descriptions of 30 commercially valuable species in these families: (1) chaetodontidae (angelfishes and butterflyfishes); (2) pomacentridae (damselfishes); (3) apogonidae (cardinalfishes); (4) opistognathidae (jawfishes); (5) sciaenidae (drums and croakers); (6) blenniidae (blennies); (7) labridae (wrasses); and (8) the gobiidae (gobies). In addition, information on the biogeography of the species, local habitat in the Florida keys, food habits, predation, reproduction, and behavior is provided for the fishes in each of the eight families. Also provided is a discussion of the diversity of tropical coral reef fish communities, a bibliography of literature cited and additional references, definitions of general terminology, maps showing areas referred to in the Caribbean and Florida Keys, and illustrations of invertebrates and plants commonly mentioned in the text. (JN)

1984

ED247108