Fish As Parents
Everyone knows how much a dog cares for her puppies and a cat for her kittens, but when it comes to parenting, many of our aquatic pets don’t get their due credit. Admittedly, all fish do not have great family values. Free-spawning varieties like the Nandidae cichlid will simply lay their eggs without any interest in caring for their offspring. A few others such as the viviparous carp are known cannibals, eating all newborns that aren’t swift of fin enough to swim away. But many other aquarium fish take an active interest in protecting and caring for their young. For example, many cichlids and labyrinth fish will watch over their offspring, until the young fish are able to fend for themselves. In these species, either the mother, father or both will defend the nest against intruders. These fish will use their chest fins to fan water over the eggs, and they will remove dead or infected eggs from the nest to protect the healthy ones. When the young of these species are ready to hatch, the parents will help them from the eggs. Many cichlid mothers will dig small holes to shelter their young as they grow. Mouthbrooding fish such as the Haplocromis and others will shelter their offspring in their mouths. Other fish, including many discus varieties, will ensure that their young are well-nourished by secreting nutrients on their skin.   |