FishWiki

This week were swimming in leaf litter with the Half Banded Kuhli Loach (Pangio Semicincta).

Pangio Semicincta commonly referred to as the Kuhli Loach in the trade, is endemic to regions in the Maylay Peninsula, Borneo and Sumatra, They are found in shallow, tannin-stained blackwater streams and peat swamps with little to no agitation. A nocturnal scavenger, the loach is often found feasting among dense leaf litter and debris, sifting through sand and mud for their next meal.

Deforestation, peat farming, and the effects of improper waste disposal, has lead to a documented 1.8 million hectares of peatland swamp forests being lost by 2015; equivalent to a deforestation rate of 4.1%. this loss of habitat is the lead threat for Pangio Semicincta, and while there are conservation efforts being lead by the Republic of Indonesia, there is not enough research into the species population and trends to observe the effects.

This species can reach up to 10cm in length in adequate setups, and heavily favors blackwater aquariums with low pH, Gh and Kh. The addition of leaf litter is also heavily recommended, to better replicate their natural habitat and release tannins into the water. As a shoaling fish, this species should ideally be kept with 8 or more of its own kind.

This week we will take a quick look at the Conger Eels (Conger spp.).

This is a genus of large marine eels that can grow to 6ft (2m) or longer and can weigh over 125lbs (57kg), the European Conger being the largest eel in the world by weight. They prefer rocky and sandy areas and are primarily nocturnal. Their diet consists of fish, crustaceans, and cephalopods. Like other species of the group, it reproduces only once in its life. They spawn in deeper waters, laying anywhere from 3-8 million eggs. The young eels stay near the coast and as they get older they retreat to the deep.

Many species in this genus have been fished for thousands of years and are still valued as a food today. Congers in Asia are especially popular for use in sushi. The European Conger has been well documented as aggressive, sometimes attacking divers and inflicting nasty wounds with their strong teeth.

Sources:

• https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/87587-Conger
• https://fishbase.mnhn.fr/identification/SpeciesList.php?genus=Conger

This week we're taking a brief look at apple snails (Ampullariidae).

This family of snails is commonly known as the apple or mystery snails and contains some of the largest snail species on earth. They can be found all over the world in tropical regions where periods of drought and high rainfall occur. Habitats include ditches, ponds, swamps, and rivers. Some species of apple snails are cultured for human consumption which has led to them escaping farms and becoming an invasive pest in many countries.

These snails have a lung and gill system which makes them amphibious, and several genera lay calcareous pink egg clusters above the water. Unlike some other snails, this family is not hermaphroditic and the snails are either male or female. During dry spells they shut their operculum tightly to conserve water and bury themselves in the mud. The species commonly found in aquaria come in many different colors from brown to albino or yellow and even blue, purple, pink, and jade, with or without banding.

Sources:

• http://www.applesnail.net/
• https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/84112-Ampullariidae