AQUARIUM & ORNAMENTAL FISH
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WHAT ARE ORNAMENTAL FISHES?
Ornamental fishes can be defined as attractive colorful fishes of peaceful nature that are kept as pets in confined spaces of an aquarium or a garden pool with the purpose of enjoying their beauty for fun and fancy. Ornamental fishes are also called “live jewels” for their beautiful colors and playful behavior.
WHY SHOULD WE KEEP THEM?
Keeping ornamental fishes as pets prove advantageous to us in several ways:
a) Keeping ornamental fishes as pets in home aquaria or garden pools gives pleasure to the young and the old alike.
b) Keeping ornamental fishes have many advantages over other pets viz
i) No barking or mewing in the middle of the night.
ii) No biting or scratching visitors.
iii)No shedding of fur of feathers all over the house.
iv)No botheration of cleaning the floor or cage everyday compared to dogs, cats, birds etc.
v) Relatively less expensive pets and less cumbersome to maintain
c) Relaxation of mind, particularly when we feel tired or depressed.
d) The hobby opportunity to watch the behavior of these tiny creatures from close quarters and develops a sense of attachment with nature.
e) Ornamental fishes kept in an aquarium or garden pool become an attractive focal point and add to the aesthetic beauty of the home and its surroundings.
f) The hobby of keeping ornamental fishes can be groomed as a source of self –employment by taking to various types of ancillary such as:
i) Culture of native varieties of ornamental fishes and their export
It can be used as a source of income generation by rendering services of aquaria upkeep at hotels, airports, water parks and other such public places.
ORIGIN OF KEEPING ORNAMENTAL FISHES AS PETS:
i. The hobby of keeping ornamental fishes as pets is said to have originated with keeping of gold fish in glass bowls in China several hundred years ago.
During the 17th century, the gold fish were introduced to several countries and became most popular in England and Scotland during 1854 – 1662.
iii. Since 1850, the hobby also became popular in USA.
iv. World’s first aquarium started in England in 1853. Native fishes were initially kept and domesticated as pets. The practice, however, spread rapidly and the world was combed for small brightly colored specimens that would live in narrow confines of glass aquaria.
v. The major technical advances in aquarium maintenance took place after the 2nd world war with the development of air travel to add to the rapid transport and safety.
vi. The number of domesticated fishes continued to grow and bred generation after generation in captivity. The guppy, platy, swordtail, molly, zebra fish, angel, fighter etc have been hybridized, selectively bred and consequently all of them now differ significantly from their wild ancestors in color, shape and reproductive cycle.
vii. In India, the hobby of keeping ornamental fishes bloomed with the opening of the “TARAPOREVALA” aquarium in Mumbai in 1951 and also several aquarium societies in the city.
USEFULNESS:
Aquaria have tremendous potential as ever changing sources of enjoyment and education. They can even provide opportunities for saving certain species from extinction, e.g. Skiffia francesae., a goodie from Mexico which, today, still survives in Aquaria after the inadvertent introduction of platies into its natural habitat in the 1970’s.
