An amazing creation of nature: the toad fish. Toad fish (opsanus beta) Toad fish in aquarium

The toadfish lives in the waters of the Gulf of Mexico and along the coasts of Belize and Florida. Fish can be found on sandbanks. These are nocturnal fish that are active only after dark, and during the day they hide in various shelters (empty shellfish shells, crevices among stones, and even tin cans or plastic boxes thrown into the water by people) with only his head sticking out. In nature, the size of fish reaches 30 cm; in an aquarium their size is much smaller.

Opsanus beta has an elongated body with an impressive head and chest. The eyes are tiny, with a bluish or reddish color. The tail feathers are underdeveloped and very small. The lower lip of the fish is “decorated” with leathery outgrowths. The body is colored gray-brown, with a rather large spots. The fins and gills of the fish have sharp spines that contain toxic poison. It is necessary to handle fish carefully so as not to accidentally injure your hands; for this it is advisable to wear gloves. If you do receive an injection, you should immediately apply a hot compress - high temperature quickly neutralizes the poison of this fish.

It is possible to keep toad fish in a species aquarium or in community aquarium, for example, with moray eels, monodactylus and argus. The only thing you need to pay attention to is that all neighboring fish must be larger in size than the toad fish, otherwise they will serve as food for them. It must be said that these fish are not at all afraid of predators, and even more, with their guttural roar they are capable of throwing terror into any fish that encroaches on their peace. This hum is the result of the movement of the muscle that articulates with the swim bladder. It should be noted that the frequency with which this muscle contracts is several thousand times per minute, which in itself is impressive.

An aquarium with a volume of 250 liters or more is suitable for keeping toad fish. At the bottom it is necessary to place large number shelters where the fish could hide. In general, there are no difficulties in keeping these fish - as long as the water parameters are maintained within the specified limits. Fish can live in both fresh and brackish water, but for this it must be specially adapted. Fish spend most of their time at the bottom.

Water parameters: temperature 22-26°C, acidity pH 8.1-8.4. Water filtration is required. Fish are not picky about the oxygen content in water, as they have three-layer gills, thanks to which they are able to live even in water with a very low oxygen content.

Toad fish are fed shrimp, small fish, squid and mussel meat.

In January 2008, near the island of Ambon, Indonesia, divers discovered amazing fish. She bounced along the bottom like a tennis ball. This was the first time scuba divers had seen this. As it turned out later, this unusual animal turned out to be a frog fish. It should not be confused with the toad fish.

This species was first discovered 20 years ago, but due to the fact that it was incorrectly classified, it was conveniently forgotten. And so, this recent discovery forced scientists, in particular zoologists - David Hall, Rachel Arnold and Ted Pietsch - to remember this fish again. They gave it the name Histiophryne psychedelica or, more simply, psychedelic frogfish.

It belongs to the family Antennariidae (). But unlike other species, it does not have a bait rod on which to bite prey.

Coral reefs are a great place for ambush and camouflage.

The frogfish is found only in areas of the Indonesian islands (Bali Island, Ambon Island). Its habitat is coral reefs, which also provide excellent hunting grounds. Histiophryne psychedelica feeds on small fish.

The entire small body of the fish is covered with numerous stripes of yellowish, brown or white. They allow her to easily disguise herself in coral reefs. Sometimes it can be very difficult to distinguish which is coral and which is fish. Each “frog” has an individual coloring, like human fingerprints.

Brown coloring
White stripes

In addition to the unique color, the eyes of the fish attract attention. They are small, but the blue border around them makes it seem like they are much larger. The eyes are not located on the sides, like all fish, but in front, like in humans. Because of this unusual arrangement of her eyes, she is able to judge the distance to objects around her. This helps the fish determine the exact distance to the prey.

Little blue eyes

Our heroine has thick and flabby skin, without scales. Therefore, to protect against scratches that she might receive while swimming in the coral, her skin is covered with a layer of mucus.

The frog fish copes with potential enemies quickly and skillfully. She has 2 options for behavior when meeting them. The first is to run away (literally), the second is to scare away. She does the last option perfectly. It sticks its mouth forward, making the fish appear larger. This scares away enemies.

But the most interesting thing is the way it moves. It walks along the bottom using modified pectoral fins. In addition to this, it swells and forcefully begins to force water through its gills, using the principle jet engine. From the outside it looks like a kind of jumping along the ocean floor. Maybe that’s why, when the frogfish swims, it seems like it’s “high.”

In living nature you can find a real abundance of a wide variety of creatures, distinguished by their bizarre forms. One of these is the toad fish - an amazing representative of the fauna. Let's get to know him better.

Description

Toadfish is one of the sea ​​creatures, you can meet it in the waters of the Atlantic Ocean, where it lives at the bottom, buried in silt or sand.

Distinctive features of this unusual creation nature are as follows:

• The size of the elongated body is up to 30 cm.
• The chest and head are massive; against their background, the small tail and fins look even more miniature.
• The lower lip is unusual: it has a kind of leathery fringe on it, which gives the toadfish its picturesque appearance.
• The deep-set eyes are small and have a blue or reddish tint.
• Large mouth.
• The color is yellowish-gray with a brown tint and fancy spots of various shapes.
• There are no scales.
• The fins are covered with poisonous spines.
• Sharp spines can be observed on the gills, which are also poisonous.
• The average weight can reach two kilograms.

They differ not only in their unusual appearance, but also with your own voice. Due to frequent muscle contractions, fish manage to make sounds reminiscent of drum roll, whistling, groaning, grumbling or humming. Signals are most often given to other members of the species, letting them know that this place already has an owner. However, sharp and loud sounds are audible to humans and cannot be called pleasant.

The three-spined toadfish batrachomoeus trispinosus, living in the waters, looks even more interesting and unusual Pacific Ocean in hot latitudes. Her entire body is covered with bizarre growths, which is why this creature seems downright ugly to some.

Lifestyle

In nature, it prefers to live at the bottom of shallow reservoirs near the shores. Leads predominantly night look life, during the day it hides in secluded grottoes. It is interesting that these often choose discarded mollusk shells or cans that have fallen to the bottom as a home. It's amazing in nature sea ​​creature uses worms, crabs, and fry for food. Thanks to its camouflage coloring, the fish completely blends into the seabed. Sitting motionless, she patiently waits for an unwary fish, after which she deftly grabs it. When food cannot be obtained, this creature can also feast on vegetation.

Reproduction

Reproduction is quite interesting: fish create strong pairs and are monogamous. They take good care of the offspring: both parents will be present at the clutch, protecting it, until the fry appear. And after that, they don’t immediately leave the kids, but stay with them for a while.

They are slow and move extremely reluctantly. They have no commercial value, but have found use as an exotic decoration for aquariums.

A toadfish in an aquarium will become a real decoration and pride for an aquarist, as it is distinguished by its peaceful disposition and unpretentiousness. But in order for her to feel comfortable, it is necessary to purchase a fairly impressive container - for one individual you will need at least 250 liters. The optimal water temperature is approximately 25°C. It is recommended to use slightly salty or even fresh water, it all depends on the conditions in which the acquired individual previously lived.

These creatures quickly get used to being kept in captivity and even begin to recognize their owner. They should be fed a variety of meat foods: small fish, shrimp, and squid meat are suitable. If you want and have patience, you can train unusual pet take food directly from your hands. It is recommended to feed your pet no more than 1-2 times a week. Keeping such an unusual creature will not cause problems, the main thing is to choose enough neighbors large fish so that they do not become food for the underwater toad. However, one cannot count on reproduction in captivity, as long as there are no known cases of offspring in fish kept in aquariums.

It is very important to remember that the toad fish is a poisonous creature, its secretion is similar in effect to the venom of a scorpion: not fatal, but very painful and can cause allergies. Therefore, if you accidentally prick yourself on a thorn or thorn, you should take an allergy medicine and treat the wound with a hot compress - under the influence high temperature the toxin will be destroyed.

Toadfish in marine aquarium It looks very beautiful and unusual, but the main thing is to remember to be careful and take proper care of it.

frog fish

Class: OSTEICHTHYES = Bony fish
Order: Scorpaeniformes = Scorpionidae
Family: Cyclopteridae = Cyclopteridae
Genus: Aptocyclus =
Species: Aptocyclus ventricosus Pallas, 1769 = Frogfish

The frog fish is found in literature and other languages ​​under different names: Smooth lumpsucker (English), Hotei-uo (Japanese), Ddug-ji (Korean) and synonyms: Latin - Cyclopterus ventricosus Pallas, 1769; Cyclopterichthys glaber Steindachner, 1881; Liparops stelleri Garman, 1892.

At first glance, the frog fish resembles a shapeless, dirty-colored block. The frogfish belongs to the family of round fins, whose representatives inhabit mainly the cold waters of the Arctic, Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. One of the main features of this family is pectoral fins disc-shaped, working like suction cups. Only thanks to fins of this structure, frog fish can firmly attach to sheer underwater rocks, becoming almost invisible against their background. Frog fish, like many bottom and deep sea fish, lack a swim bladder and float due to the low density of their body. They wait for prey, sitting on a rocky bottom or partially buried in the mud at the bottom.

Body shape and skin are different in males and females. Males are characterized by very thick, wrinkled skin, a well-ossified skeleton of the body and head, and a large sucker. Females, as a rule, are characterized by thin and smooth skin, a weakly ossified skeleton, which causes flabbiness of their body and does not ensure the preservation of its shape. The ventral sucker in females is small. First dorsal in adults it is indistinguishable from the outside; it is hidden under the skin and can only be discovered by opening it. It has 5 vestigial rays. The color is dark brown, the ventral surface is fawn, and there are many black spots scattered along the back and sides of the body. D(5), 8-11; A 6-9; P 19-22; C 9-11; Vert. 27-29.

Eurybates fish, reaching a length of 40 cm and living in a wide range of depths - from the surface layers to a depth of 1700 m. In winter, the frog fish approaches the shallow coastal waters. Here, in the zone of rocky placers and algae thickets, at a depth of 5-10 m from February to May, its spawning occurs. The place for spawning and shelter for eggs are cracks and depressions under and between stones, where the eggs are deposited. The fertility of females is quite high - from 30 to 50 thousand eggs. The caviar is colored light yellow, the diameter of the eggs is approximately 2.2-2.5 mm. Females, having laid eggs once, die soon after spawning. And after the egg laying is fertilized, males remain and take further care of the offspring. The hatched prelarvae are only 6-7 mm long. Immediately after hatching, the larvae remain inactive for some time, attaching themselves to stones. As they grow, these fish switch to a pelagic lifestyle and can be found even in the surface layers of water. The basis of the frogfish's diet consists mainly of a variety of bottom invertebrates and worms.

Frog fish - chito sea ​​view. It is widespread in the North Pacific Ocean, from the shores of the Korean Peninsula to the Bering Sea and along the American coast south to British Columbia. This fish is also found off the coast of Russia in the waters of Primorye - everywhere.

The “mutant fish” caught by coastal fishermen in the Livadia region turned out to be a frog fish (Aptocyclus ventricosus), quite common in the waters of southern Primorye, Vesti Primorye reports.

On the morning of September 11, the editorial office received a video of an “unknown monster” caught off the coast of Primorye on WhatsApp. The mutant fish has a second mouth in the belly area, the tail is on top of the back, eyewitnesses were horrified in their comments. None of those present on the shore had ever met such a creature, the video emphasized. However, Vesti Primorye was able to establish that the caught fish was not a monster, but an ordinary frog fish.

“Frog fish are not uncommon in Primorye,” says Sergei Pavlov, head of the department for keeping aquatic organisms of the Far Eastern seas. “But in Russia this is not commercial species. That is, they can only accidentally get into the network. New residents are quarantined in the Scientific Adaptation Building. And in the main building in the “Far Eastern Seas” exposition, one frog fish is already waiting for this company. Her aquarium is opposite the kelp forest. The frog fish has quite unusual appearance. The skin resembles that of a bulldog, all in soft folds, and its surface is similar to suede or velor. I want to pet her like a dog. Although out of water the fish-frog is far from presentable."

Frogfish are able to swallow water, significantly increasing in size. When the fish swells, it resembles a ball with a tail. Thanks to a special closing muscle, water does not come out of the fish, even if it is pressed. The fish releases the water itself and takes on its normal appearance. In the area of ​​the pectoral fins, the frog fish has a suction cup, with which it is strengthened at the bottom. Frogfish spend their entire lives away from land at maximum depths, and come to the shore to spawn. After spawning, the female dies, and the male remains to guard the eggs. With its suction cup it attaches itself to a stone next to the masonry and for several weeks drives fish away from it, sea ​​urchins and stars who want to feast on developing caviar. During low tides, masonry often dries out. To prevent the eggs from dying, the males periodically water them with water, which they store in themselves.

For reference: The frogfish (Aptocyclus ventricosus) belongs to the roundfin family, whose representatives inhabit the cold waters of the Arctic, Pacific and Atlantic oceans. One of the main features of the family is its disc-shaped pectoral fins, which act like suction cups. Thanks to them, frogfish can firmly attach themselves to sheer underwater rocks, becoming almost invisible. Frogfish, like many bottom and deep-sea fish, lack a swim bladder and swim due to their low body density. The main food of frogfish are jellyfish - jellyfish and ctenophores. The frogfish is the largest representative of the Pacific roundfin fish. Its dimensions reach 40 cm.