Animal Science 2-Small Animal

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Animal Science 2-Small Animal

• Unit D4-Animal Breeds and Basic Management

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Essential Standard 10.00

• Select the best fish, amphibian, and reptile for
  a given use.

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Objective 10.01

• Discuss the major breeds of fish and types of
  amphibians and reptiles.

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Species/Breeds of Fish

• Egg laying fish
• Koi
• Goldfish
• Betas
• Tetras

• Barbs
• Catfish
• Chinese Algae EaterHeadstanders

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Goldfish

• Very popular first fish for many children
• Hardy and easy to keep freshwater fish that
  prefers pools or cold water aquariums
• Prefer a temperature range of 32-68F
• Can live in various types of water as long as
  water is kept clean

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Goldfish
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Betas

• Freshwater fish that are very aggressive
• Frequently kept alone as a specimen fish in a
  species-only aquarium
• Males must never be put in the same aquarium
• One or two females may be put in a community
  aquarium but it may affect their coloration
• Prefer a temperature range of 80F 3

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Betas
Female Beta
Male Beta
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Tetras

• Easy to medium care ornamental fish that prefer
  soft water that is slightly acidic
• A very sociable fish that does well in community
  aquariums
• Average 1 ½-3 in length
• One species is the neon

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Tetras
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Catfish

• Grown as ornamentals including the upside-down
  catfish, glass catfish, and electric catfish
• Prefer their water temperature to be 70-80 F

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Chinese Algae Eater

• Soaking loach that grows up to 10 long when the
  aquarium size permits
• Large, fleshy lips that can cling to vegetation,
  rocks or the sides of a glass aquarium
• Good community fish and feed off algae
• Prefer a water temperature of 70-80F

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Chinese Algae Eater
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Livebearing fish

• Give birth to live young
• Live in shoals or groups of five or more
• Guppies
• Swordtails
• Mollies
• Platys

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Guppies

• Most popular
• Varieties only differ in shapes of their fins and
  tails
• Prefer water temperatures 68-75F
• May average giving birth to 50 young, but adults
  may try to eat the young fry

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Guppies
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Swordtails

• Known for its long sword-like caudal fin
• Like environment similar to guppies
• Average 3-4 ¾ long
• Prefer water temperatures 68-70F

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Mollies

• Most species are black and differ only in the
  size of their fins
• Prefer water temperatures 72-82F
• Dwell in large groups or schools
• Have problems with large fins (may grow so large
  that swimming is difficult)

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Mollies
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Platys

• Very popular
• Average only 2 ½ in length
• Prefer water temperature 68-77F

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Saltwater Breeds

• Live in saltwater and require the addition of
  sodium chloride (salt) to create a marine
  environment
• Most of these ornamental fish lay eggs
• Angelfish
• Butterfly fish
• Brasslets
• Clown fish
• Sergeant Major

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Angelfish

• Some can live in freshwater
• Delicate in appearance, but are very hardy
• Eggs are carried in the parents mouth and placed
  either in foliage or sand as part of the
  incubation process
• Prefer water temperature of 77-86F

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Angelfish
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Brasslets

• Small, popular, colorful fish for marine
  aquariums
• Royal gamma is the suggested brasslet for
  beginner marine aquarists
• Mix well with other species, but must be isolated
  from their own due to aggressive nature
• Eat a diet of brine shrimp
• Prefer water temperatures 79-82F

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Clown Fish

• Orange in color with three white bands encircling
  the body
• Each white band fins are edged in black
• Known for their ability to live around the
  tentacles of the sea anemone in a mutually
  beneficial relationship known as symbiosis

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Clown Fish
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Sergeant Major

• Marine fish that grows to 7 in length
• Silver-blue in color with a yellow tinge on its
  body and has seven vertical dark bands on each
  side.

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Breeds of Amphibians

• Newts
• Salamanders
• Frogs
• Toads

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Newts and Salamanders

• Range in size from a few inches to 5 or more
• Usually have four legs and long tails

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Frogs and Toads

• Differ in that frogs make a croaking noise, have
  slender, longer bodies, and moist skin while
  toads have a rough skin and dry appearance
• True frogs include the American Bullfrog and may
  grow to 14 long

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Frogs and Toads

• American Toad is the common toad in the eastern
  United States
• Green Tree Frog is actually a yellow-green toad
  with a yellow stripe running from its lower jaw
  back along its sides

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Species of Reptiles

• Boa constrictors
• Garter snakes
• Green anole
• Skinks
• Savannah Monitor
• Chameleon

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Boa Constrictors

• Popular pets because they adjust well to
  captivity and tame quickly
• May grow 18 long
• Like to feed on small animals, birds, fish, and
  eggs

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Garter Snakes

• Adjust well in captivity and can be tamed
• Easily recognized by stripes running the length
  of their body
• May reach 2-3 in length

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Green Anole

• An iguana that is often found in pet stores
• Reaches a length of 8 and feeds on insects
• Changes color from various shades of gray to brown

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Skinks

• Very tame and make excellent pets
• Secretive and do best with leaves to burrow under
• May reach 2 in length

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Savannah Monitor

• A lizard that can be used as a pet
• May reach sizes up to 6 or more and become hard
  to handle

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Common Chameleon

• A true chameleon that reaches about 10 in length
• Can change their colors rapidly to adapt to their
  surroundings

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Terminology

• Ornamental fish-
• Kept for their appearance (bright colors and
  fancy fins)
• Personal appeal to people
• Not usually used for food

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Terminology

• Tropical fish
• Popular fish for aquariums that come from the
  warmer regions of the world

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Terminology

• Marine fish
• Fish that are kept in salt water aquariums
• Often more colorful than freshwater varieties

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Terminology

• Freshwater fish
• Fish that are kept in a freshwater tank
• Often the most popular fish for pets

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Terminology

• Community fish
• Fish that do well in an aquarium with other fish
  species
• Examples include Tetras, barbs, catfish,
  Mollies, Platys, and Swordtails

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Terminology

• Species fish
• Do best in an aquarium with fish of the same
  species
• Examples Blind Cave Fish, Piranhas, Red-Tailed
  Shark, Schomburgks Leaf Fish, Spiny eels,
  Killifish (one pair alone in an aquarium), Betas
  (alone in an aquarium)

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Terminology

• Gonopodium
• Modification of anal fin into a tube-shaped organ
  in male live-bearers that provides passage for
  sperm packets to enter the oviduct of the female

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Terminology

• Live bearer
• Fish that give birth to live young
• Examples guppies, Mollies, Platys, and
  Swordtails

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Terminology

• Egg layers
• Fish that expel eggs from the female to be
  fertilized by the male
• Examples tetras, barbs, catfish, goldfish

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Terminology

• Shoals
• Small colonies of fish
• Some species prefer to live in shoals
• Examples African refin, catfish, tetras

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Terminology

• Spawning
• The reproduction ritual where eggs are deposited
  and fertilized by egg laying species of fish

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Terminology

• Scales
• Thin, bony plates that develop from and are
  embedded in dermis
• Overlap each other and provide protection
• Exposed part of the scale is covered with a thin
  layer of epidermis that produces a slimy mucous
  which protects the fish from water borne bacteria

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Water/Salt Requirements

• Fish must maintain proper levels of salt and
  water in their bodies.
• Water flows from areas of weak salt solution to
  areas of strong salt solution by osmosis.

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Water/Salt Requirements

• Freshwater fish do not need to drink water
  because their body concentration is higher than
  the water
• Saltwater fish have a lower concentration of salt
  in their bodies than in the water. Therefore,
  they must drink water to keep from dehydrating.

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Feeding Habits

• Bottom feeders (dwellers) are fish that inhabit
  the lower level of the aquarium and feed off the
  bottom.
• Their mouth may be turned down or underslung and
  they may have barbs to help them locate food.
• Example barbs

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Feeding Habits

• Middle feeders (middle-water fish) primarily
  occupy the middle layer of the aquarium and
  usually have small mouths that are straight
  forward because they are eating feed that is
  straight in front of them.

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Feeding Habits

• Top feeders usually eat from the surface and
  occupy the upper levels of the aquarium.
• Often, their mouths will be turned upward and
  they will have long streamlined bodies designed
  for rapid movement to help them catch insects.

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Feeding Habits

• Some fish, like goldfish, do not show a
  preference for the level of the aquarium.

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Physiology of Respiration

• Fish use organs called gills to breathe.
• Water is drawn through the mouth by constant
  opening and closing of the mouth.
• This forces water into the pharynx and out
  through gills.

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Physiology of Respiration

• Dissolved oxygen in water is taken into the blood
  and CO2 is released into the water from the
  gills.

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Physiology of Respiration

• A few species of fish come to the surface and
  gulp air into their mouth. They are able to use
  atmospheric oxygen because part of their
  intestines allow for intake of oxygen. The air
  is then swallowed into the digestive system and
  taken into the blood.

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Physiology of Movement

• Fins-a moveable structure that allow the fish to
  swim and maintain balance.
• Most bony fish have rayed fins that consist of
  webs of skin supported by bone or cartilage rods
  called rays.
• Rays can be sharp, soft, or spiny.
• Fins are very flexible.

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Physiology of Movement

• Most fish have at least one fin along their back
  (dorsal), one underside near the tail (anal), and
  one tail fin (caudal).
• Some have a small fleshy fin located between the
  dorsal and caudal called an adipose fin.
• Fish also have a pair of fins located behind the
  head called the pectoral and the pelvic located
  behind them.

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Physiology of Amphibians

• Cold blooded animals that have thin, moist skin
  that allows them to breathe through the skin by
  osmosis.
• Amphibians usually live in moist environments,
  but location usually depends on their skin
  thickness.
• Amphibians do not have scales.

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Physiology of Amphibians

• Amphibians crush their prey and swallow it whole
  because they do not have teeth.
• They also live part of their life in water.
  Adult amphibians spend part or all of their life
  on land.

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Physiology of Reptiles

• Reptiles are cold blooded vertebrates that have
  dry, scaly skin and lungs for breathing.
• Reptiles have bony skeleton scales or horny
  plates that cover their body.
• Reptiles include crocodiles, lizards, snakes,
  turtles, tortoises, etc.

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Physiology of Reptiles

• Some give birth by laying eggs (oviparous),
  others retain the eggs in their body until they
  hatch and give birth to young (ovoviviparous),
  and in others their young develop in a placental
  sac and are born live (viviparous).

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Objective 10.02

• Use care techniques that improve the well-being
  of fish, amphibians and reptiles.

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Purchasing an Aquarium

• Decide on tank type (glass or plastic)
• Plastic is cheaper, but glass is easier to clean.
• Framed tanks are more expensive than all glass
  and offer more support to the glass.

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Purchasing an Aquarium

• Tank size
• Size depends on the amount you want to invest and
  the type (species) of fish.
• Ranges from a simple Beta or goldfish bowl with a
  1 gallon capacity to 10, 30, 50, or 100 gallons.
• Thickness of glass ranges from ¼ for small
  aquariums to 3/8 for larger aquariums.

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Purchasing an Aquarium
Stocking Rate for Aquariums Stocking Rate for Aquariums
1 inch of fish requires a MINIMUM of 1 inch of fish requires a MINIMUM of
Tropical fish aquarium 10 in2 of surface area
Cold water aquarium 30 in2 of surface area
Marine aquarium 48 in2 of surface area
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Purchasing an Aquarium

• For example
• An aquarium that is 24 long by 10 wide has 240
  in2 of surface area.
• The tank would hold 24 of tropical fish, 8 of
  cold water fish, or 5 of marine fish.
• One could have eight swordtails 3 long in a
  tropical aquarium, two goldfish 4 long in a
  coldwater aquarium, or two Brasslets 2.5 long in
  a marine aquarium.

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Purchasing an Aquarium

• Shape
• Depends on personal preference and species of
  fish you are raising.
• The most common shape is rectangular, but square,
  spherical, etc are also common.

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Purchasing an Aquarium

• Species
• Type of fish purchasing
• Freshwater vs. saltwater

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Aquarium Equipment

• Power filter with an electric motor
• Filtration systems remove uneaten food materials,
  dissolved materials, solid waste and neutralize
  harmful substances.

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Types of Filtration Systems

• Mechanical
• Removal of waste by using various kinds of
  filtration devices
• Modern systems use an external filter box

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Types of Filtration Systems

• Chemical
• Removal of dissolved material by using a chemical
  process
• The use of activated charcoal to soak up
  dissolved minerals and chemicals is the most
  common chemical removal process.
• Activated charcoal is often part of the filter
  system and must be changed at regular intervals.

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Types of Filtration Systems

• Biological
• Use bacteria to feed on toxic substances such as
  ammonia excreted from fish during respiration or
  as a result of decaying waste and food material.
• Waste is changed from a harmful substance to a
  harmless one (nitrogen)
• Dissolved oxygen in the water is also replenished.

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Aquarium Equipment

• Air Pumps for aeration
• Water is circulated from the bottom of the tank
  to the surface where aeration can take place.
• Compressed air (oxygen) is pumped through
  airstones (fused, porous glass) to break the
  airflow into minute bubbles.

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Aquarium Equipment

• Air Pumps Contd
• As the compressed air goes into the water, it
  disperses carbon dioxide (aeration)
• Air bubbles rising from the bottom aid in
  equalizing the water temperature throughout and
  circulating the water to the top where aeration
  can take place.

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Aquarium Equipment

• Hydrometer
• For measuring salt content
• GFCI electrical outlet preferred

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Aquarium Equipment

• Heater/Thermostat
• Needed to maintain water temperature for tropical
  aquariums
• Must be the right size (approximately 10 watts of
  power for each 1 ½ gallons of water

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Aquarium Equipment

• Thermometer
• Liquid crystal thermometers that are adhesive
  strips that stick to the outside of the aquarium
  are popular

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Aquarium Equipment

• Other materials
• Water container (for exchanging water)
• Gravel or sand
• Plants
• Decorative stones
• Hood with starter for fluorescent lights
• Dip nets
• Decorative materials

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Aquarium Maintenance

• Remove temporary hardness of water by boiling and
  allowing to sit prior to its use in the aquarium
• Eliminate chlorine by aerating it for 12-24 hours
  prior to use or allowing it to sit for 48 hours
  so the chlorine will evaporate.

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Aquarium Maintenance

• Daily Maintenance
• Check heater, temperature, aeration, and
  filtration
• Remove dead fish
• Observe for any unusual behavior

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Aquarium Maintenance

• Weekly Maintenance
• Check water level and pH and add water and
  chemicals as appropriate

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Aquarium Maintenance

• Monthly Maintenance
• 1/4 to 1/5 of the water needs to be changed every
  three to four weeks to provide fish a stress free
  environment and prolong the life of the filters
• Siphon off any dead material from bottom of the
  aquarium.
• Tend to plants and remove algae.

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Aquarium Maintenance

• Factors that contribute to increased ammonia and
  nitrates in the tank
• Increase in waste material and uneaten food on
  the bottom (Dont overfeed)
• Dirty filters and failure to change water monthly
• Overpopulation of fish

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Feeding Fish

• Vary feed to prevent boredomfish really like
  live food, but freeze-dried and frozen food is a
  good alternative
• Feed fish 2 to 3 times per day
• Feed only enough for the fish to eat in 3-5
  minutes.
• Live foods like brine shrimp, earthworms, wood
  lice, and worms are treats to fish.

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Feeding Fish

• Commercially prepared flake foods are ideal for
  small fish up to 4-5 long. Vitamins and
  nutrients are provided in amounts needed by the
  fish.
• Commercially prepared pellets work well for
  larger fish. The type depends on the eating
  habit of the fish being kept.

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Reptile and Amphibian Habitats

• Vast differences between species, but the goal
  should always be to duplicate the natural
  environment of the pet.
• Aquariums usually make the best containers.
• Semi-aquatic aquariums may be made by using
  plexi-glass to partition the aquarium in half

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Reptile and Amphibian Habitats

• Vivariums should be designed to give the reptile
  an environment close to its actual habitat.
• Reptiles are ectotherms. They do not generate
  body heat and must rely completely on the
  temperature of their environement.

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Reptile and Amphibian Habitats

• Reptiles need ultraviolet (UV) rays for calcium
  metabolism, formation of pigment, and vitamin D
  synthesis.
• Reptiles need sunlight.
• Fluorescent lights will provide UV rays as long
  as there is not glass between the light and the
  reptile. Glass filters the UV rays out.