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Astronotus ocellatus is a species of
fish from the
cichlid family known under a variety of common names including
oscar,
tiger oscar,
velvet cichlid, or
marble cichlid.
[1] In
South America, where the species naturally resides,
A. ocellatus are often found for sale as a food fish in the local markets.
[2][3] The fish can also be found in other areas including China, Australia, and the United States. Although its slow growth limits its potential for
aquaculture, it is considered a popular
aquarium fish.
[4][5][6]
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Seahorses are a
genus (
Hippocampus) of fish belonging to the family
Syngnathidae, which also includes
pipefish and
leafy sea dragons. There are over 32 species of seahorse, mainly found in shallow tropical and temperate waters throughout the world. They prefer to live in sheltered areas such as sea grass beds, coral reefs, or mangroves. Colonies have been found in European waters such as the
Thames Estuary. From
North America down to
South America there are approximately four species, ranging from very small in size (
dwarf seahorses are only about an inch long) to those much larger, found off the Pacific Coast of Central America (the foot-long
Hippocampus ingens).
Hippocampus erectus are larger seahorses found anywhere from
Nova Scotia down to around
Uruguay. Three different species of seehorse live in the
Mediterranean Sea: Hippocampus hippocampus (long snout), Hippocampus brevirostris (short snout) and Hippocampus fuscus (immigrated from the
Red Sea). These fish form territories, with males staying in about one square meter of their habitat while females range about one hundred times that area. They bob around in sea grass meadows, mangrove stands, and coral reefs where they are camouflaged by murky brown and grey patterns that blend into the sea grass backgrounds. During social moments or in unusual surroundings, seahorses turn bright colors.
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