胭脂鱼（Myxocyprinus asiaticus）属鲤形目，亚口鱼科，胭脂鱼属。俗称：火烧鳊、黄排、木叶盘、红鱼、紫鳊、燕雀鱼、血排、粉排。英文名：Chinese sucker fish 。

　　濒危等级：易危。中国国家Ⅱ级保护野生动物。

　　体侧扁，背部在背鳍起点处特别隆起。吻钝圆。口小，下位，呈马蹄形。唇厚，富肉质，上唇与吻皮形成一深沟；下唇向外翻出形成一肉褶，上下唇具有许多细小的乳突。无须。下咽骨呈镰刀状，下咽齿单行，数目很多，排列呈梳妆，末端呈钩状。背鳍无硬刺，基部很长，延伸至臀鳍基部后上方。臀鳍短，尾柄细长，尾鳍叉形。鳞大，侧线完全。在不同生长阶段，体形变化较大。仔鱼期当体长为1.6-2.2厘米时，体形特别细长，体长为体高的4.7倍；稍长大，在幼鱼期体高增大，体长12-28厘米时，体长为体高的2.5倍；成鱼期体长为58.4-98.0厘米时，体长约为体高的3.4倍，此时期体高增长反而减慢。其体色也随个体大小而变化。仔鱼阶段体长2.7-8.2厘米，呈深褐色，体侧各有3条黑色横条纹，背鳍、臀鳍上叶灰白色，下叶下缘灰黑色。成熟个体体侧为淡红、黄褐或暗褐色，从吻端至尾基有一条胭脂红色的宽纵带，背鳍、尾鳍均呈淡红色。胭脂鱼从仔鱼到成鱼的发育过程，其外部形态及体色的这些变化，过去文献记载相当混乱。一些学者根据大小不同的标本或另立新种，或记述新亚种，均欠稳妥。实际上我国的胭脂鱼只有一种，其它的种和亚种名称，均系此种的同物异名。

　　胭脂鱼的幼、成鱼不仅形态不同，生态习性也不相同。通常需求的生境，鱼苗和幼鱼阶段常喜群集于水流较缓的砾石之间生活，多在水体上层活动，游动缓慢，半长成的鱼则习惯于栖息在湖泊和江的中下游，水体中下层，活动迟缓，成鱼多生活于江河上游，水体的中下层，行动矫健。每年2月中旬（雨水节前后），性腺接近成熟的亲鱼均要上溯到上游，于3-5月在急流中繁殖。长江的产卵场在金沙江、岷江、嘉陵江等地。亲鱼产卵后仍在产卵场附近逗留，直到秋后退水时期，才回归到干流深水处越冬。胭脂鱼一般6龄可达性成熟，体重约10公斤左右。胭脂鱼主要以底栖无脊椎动物和水底泥渣中的有机物质为食，亦吃一些高等植物碎片和藻类。

　　亚口鱼科大多数属种分布于北美洲，现存约14属，近80种。本种是迄今所知的亚口鱼科分布于我国唯一的种。在长江上、中、下游皆有，但以上游数量为多；福建闽江亦产，目前亦属少见。

　　胭脂鱼生长较快，1龄鱼体长可达200毫米左右，成熟个体一般体重可达15-20公斤，最大个体重可达30公斤，在长江上游是一种重要经济鱼类。目前野生状态个体的数量正逐年趋于下降。葛洲坝截流后，长江中下游亲鱼不能上溯至上游的沱江、岷江等大支流中产卵，宜昌江段的某些产卵场的环境也遭到破坏。虽然坝下江段仍发现有繁殖群体，但因捕捞过度，目前自然存在的野生群体数量下降趋势仍在继续。

胡鲶（Clarias batrachus）属鲶形目，胡鲶科，胡鲶属。俗称：胡子鲶，塘虱，土虱，塘角鱼。英文名：Walking catfish 。

　　体延长，背鳍起点向前渐平扁，向后渐侧扁。头宽圆，平扁，头腹面平直，背面斜平，呈楔形或犁头状。头顶及两侧有骨板，披以薄皮，并有额囟。吻宽而钝，突出。唇颇厚，口角唇褶发达，唇沟明显。口宽大，弧形，略下位，下颌较上颌略短。牙细小，密集，上、下颌和犁骨均有绒毛状齿带，下颌齿带中间有裂缝。头部具须4对；鼻须1对，较短，伸达鳃孔后方；上颌须1对和颌须2对，较长，均伸达胸鳍基部或后方。眼颇小，有活动眼睑，眼间隔甚宽平。鼻孔每侧两个；两鼻孔相隔较远，前鼻孔为1短管，近吻端。鳃孔宽，鳃腔内具有由第二及第四鳃弓肉质突起构成的树枝状辅助呼吸器官，可利用空气中的氧气进行气体交换。体光滑无鳞，侧线平直。背鳍1个，基部很长，约占体长的2／3，无硬刺，起点在胸鳍和腹鳍起点之间中央上方，后方鳍条伸达尾鳍基；臀鳍与背鳍同形，较背鳍短；胸鳍小，圆形，具硬刺；腹鳍小，尾鳍圆形，不与背鳍、臀鳍相连。体棕黑色，各鳍灰黑色。

　　胡鲶为热带、亚热带淡水鱼类，耐寒力差，温度低于6℃时出现死亡。栖息于河川、池塘、水草茂盛的沟渠、稻田和沼泽中的黑暗处和洞穴内。鳃腔内有辅助呼吸器，故能耐干旱；在泥浆或水少的地方，能生活一段时间；在干燥时节营穴居生活，可数月不死。夜间出穴捕食，行动活泼，喜群居，在沟渠窟中常数十尾至数百尾在一起生活。冬季进入江河或在洞窟中过冬。喜食小鱼、小虾和水生昆虫及水草等；幼鱼则以浮游生物为食。4月份由越冬地区进入沟渠、稻田及沼泽地区；4-5月间以尾挖掘一圆形窝，在巢窝中生殖。鱼卵受精后，雄鱼离去，雌鱼守窟防敌，直至仔鱼能够游动觅食方始离去。每次产卵70-200粒，产卵期每年2次，在4-5月及8-9月。夏季水温升高，胡鲶由稻田返回河溪沟渠中，8-9月又游至稻田进行生殖。

　　分布于长江中下游和长江以南各省区的各种水体中。

　　胡鲶分布极广，为南方的养殖鱼类；也是常见的中小型食用鱼类。养殖5个月，体重可达250克左右。其肉质细嫩，味鲜美，营养价值高。除食用外，它还是一种药用鱼类，历来被视为滋補食品。全鱼有养血、补虚、滋肾、调中、助阳之功效，民间常用来为饮食不振之病人或产妇补养身体。入药主治疟疾，久虐不愈；腰膝酸痛；体虚；黄疸，愿窝祝恍《峄霍茄绷魇敝梗昃貌欢希恍榛鹬ⅲㄍ吩巍⑿募隆⒊鲅⒖诟伞⑹钟胱阈姆⑷取⒓痹铩⑹撸煌饪剖质鹾笫持艽偈股丝谟稀Ｍ饷巢棵懦＝擞阕魑隹谒分弧?/P>

　　捕捉胡鲶要特别小心。其胸鳍棘为具毒腺组织的皮膜所包，被刺伤后有剧痛，但不红肿。

　　胡鲶科在我国仅胡鲶一种。近几年来，有关部门从国外引进另外两种，并已在人工繁殖取得成功，成为我国南方的养殖新品种。

Sun Bear

The Sun Bear (Helarctos malayanus) is a bear found primarily in the tropical rainforests of Southeast Asia .
The Sun Bear stands approximately 4 ft (1.2 m) in length, making it the smallest member in the bear family. It is often called the dog bear because of its small stature. It has a 2 in (5 cm) tail and on average weighs less than 145 lb (65 kg). Males tend to be slightly larger than females.
Unlike other bears, the Sun Bear's fur is short and sleek. This adaptation is probably due to the lowland climates it inhabits. Dark black or brown-black fur covers its body, except on the chest where there is a pale orange-yellow marking in the shape of a horseshoe. Similar colored fur can be found around the muzzle and the eyes. This distinct marking gives the sun bear its name.

Komondor Dog

Females are 27 inches (69cm) at the withers. Male Komondorok are a minimum of 28 inches at the withers, but many are over 30 inches tall, making this one of the larger common breeds of dog. The body is not overly coarse or heavy, however, and people unfamiliar with the breed are often surprised by how quick and agile the dogs are.
Its long, thick, strikingly corded white coat (the heaviest amount of fur in the canine world) resembles dreadlocks or a mop. The puppy coat is soft and fluffy. However, the coat is wavy and tends to curl as the puppy matures. A fully mature coat is formed naturally from the soft undercoat and the coarser outer coat combining to form tassels, or cords. Some help is needed in separating the cords so the dog does not turn into one large matted mess. The length of the cords increases with time as the coat grows. Shedding is very minimal with this breed, contrary to what one might think (once cords are fully formed). The only substantial shedding occurs as a puppy before the dreadlocks fully form. The Komondor is born with only a white coat, unlike the similar-looking Puli, which is usually white, black or sometimes grayish. However, a working Komondor's coat may be discolored by the elements, and may appear off-white if not washed regularly.

Angora Rabbit

The Angora rabbit is a variety of domestic rabbit bred for its long, soft hair. The Angora is one of the oldest types of domestic rabbit, originating in Ankara , Turkey , along with the Angora cat and Angora goat. The rabbits were popular pets with French royalty in the mid 1700s, and spread to other parts of Europe by the end of the century. They first appeared in the United States in the early 1900s. They are bred largely for their long wool, which may be removed by shearing or plucking (gently pulling loose wool).
There are many individual breeds of Angora rabbits, four of which are ARBA recognized. Such breeds include, French, German, Giant, English, Satin, Chinese, Swiss, Finnish, to name a few.

Red Panda

The Red Panda, Ailurus fulgens ('shining cat,' from a Latinized form of the Greek, ailouros, 'cat,' and the participial form of the Latin fulgere, 'to shine') is a mostly herbivorous mammal, slightly larger than a domestic cat (55 cm long). The Red Panda has semi-retractile claws and, like the Giant Panda, has a 'false thumb' which is really an extension of the wrist bone. Thick fur on the soles of the feet offers protection from cold and hides scent glands. The Red Panda is native to the Himalayas in Nepal and southern China . The word panda is derived from Nepalese word 'ponya' which means bamboo and plants eating animals in Nepal .

Sloth

Sloths are medium-sized mammals that live in Central and South America belonging to the families Megalonychidae and Bradypodidae, part of the order Pilosa. Most scientists call these two families the Folivora suborder, while some call it Phyllophaga.
Sloths are omnivores. They may eat insects, small lizards and carrion, but their diet consists mostly of buds, tender shoots, and leaves.
Sloths have made extraordinary adaptations to an arboreal browsing lifestyle. Leaves, their main food source, provide very little energy or nutrition and do not digest easily: sloths have very large, specialized, slow-acting stomachs with multiple compartments in which symbiotic bacteria break down the tough leaves.
As much as two-thirds of a well-fed sloth's body-weight consists of the contents of its stomach, and the digestive process can take as long as a month or more to complete. Even so, leaves provide little energy, and sloths deal with this by a range of economy measures: they have very low metabolic rates (less than half of that expected for a creature of their size), and maintain low body temperatures when active (30 to 34 degrees Celsius or 86 to 93 degrees Fahrenheit), and still lower temperatures when resting. Sloths mainly live in Cecropia trees.

Emperor Tamarin

The Emperor Tamarin (Saguinus imperator) is a tamarin allegedly named for its similarity with the German emperor Wilhelm II. The name was first intended as a joke, but has become the official scientific name.
This tamarin lives in the southwest Amazon Basin , in east Peru , north Bolivia and in the west Brazilian states of Acre and Amazonas.
The fur of the Emperor Tamarin is predominantly grey colored, with yellowish speckles on its chest. The hands and feet are black and the tail is brown. Outstanding is its long, white mustache, which extends to both sides beyond the shoulders. The animal reaches a length of 24 to 26 cm, plus a 35 cm long tail. It weighs approximately 300 to 400 g.
This primate inhabits tropical rain forests, living deep in the forest and also in open tree-covered areas. It is a diurnal animal, spending the majority of its days in the trees with quick, safe movements and broad jumps among the limbs.

White-faced Saki Monkey

The White-faced Saki (Pithecia pithecia), also known as the Guianan Saki and the Golden-faced Saki, is a species of saki monkey, a type of New World monkey, found in Brazil, French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname, and Venezuela. This monkey mostly feed on fruits, but also nuts, seeds, and insects.

Tapir

Tapirs are large browsing mammals, roughly pig-like in shape, with short, prehensile snouts. They inhabit jungle and forest regions of South America, Central America, and Southeast Asia . All four species of tapir are classified as endangered or vulnerable. Their closest relatives are the other odd-toed ungulates, horses and rhinoceroses.

Hagfish

Hagfish are marine craniates of the class Myxini, also known as Hyperotreti. Despite their name, there is some debate about whether they are strictly fish (as there is for lampreys), since they belong to a much more primitive lineage than any other group that is commonly defined fish (Chondrichthyes and Osteichthyes). Their unusual feeding habits and slime-producing capabilities have led members of the scientific and popular media to dub the hagfish as the most 'disgusting' of all sea creatures.
Hagfish are long, vermiform and can exude copious quantities of a sticky slime or mucus (from which the typical species Myxine glutinosa was named). When captured and held by the tail, they escape by secreting the fibrous slime, which turns into a thick and sticky gel when combined with water, and then cleaning off by tying themselves in an overhand knot which works its way from the head to the tail of the animal, scraping off the slime as it goes. Some authorities conjecture that this singular behavior may assist them in extricating themselves from the jaws of predatory fish. However, the 'sliming' also seems to act as a distraction to predators, and free-swimming hagfish are seen to 'slime' when agitated and will later clear the mucus off by way of the same travelling-knot behavior.

Star-nosed Mole

The Star-nosed Mole (Condylura cristata) is a small North American mole found in eastern Canada and the north-eastern United States . It is the only member of the tribe Condylurini and the genus Condylura.
It lives in wet lowland areas and eats small invertebrates, aquatic insects, worms and molluscs. It is a good swimmer and can forage along the bottoms of streams and ponds. Like other moles, this animal digs shallow surface tunnels for foraging; often, these tunnels exit underwater. It is active day and night and remains active in winter, when it has been observed tunnelling through the snow and swimming in ice-covered streams. Little is known about the social behavior of the species, but it is suspected that it is colonial.
The Star-nosed Mole is covered in thick blackish brown water-repellent fur and has large scaled feet and a long thick tail, which appears to function as a fat storage reserve for the spring breeding season. Adults are 15 to 20 cm in length, weigh about 55 g, and have 44 teeth. The mole's most distinctive feature is a circle of 22 mobile, pink, fleshy tentacles at the end of the snout. These are used to identify food by touch, such as worms, insects and crustaceans.

Proboscis Monkey

Nasalis larvatus also known as Long-nosed Monkey is a reddish-brown arboreal Old World monkey. It is the only species in monotypic genus Nasalis.
The most distinctive trait of this monkey is the male's large protruding nose. The purpose of the large nose is unclear, but it has been suggested that it is a result of sexual selection. The female Proboscis Monkey prefers big-nosed male s , thus propagating the trait.
Males are much larger than females, reaching 72 cm (28 inches) in length, with an up to 75 cm tail, and weighing up to 24 kg (53 pounds). Females are up to 60 cm long, weighing up to 12 kg (26 lb).
The Proboscis Monkey also has a large belly, as a result of its diet. Its digestive system is divided into several parts, with distinctive gut flora, which help in digesting leaves. This digestive process releases a lot of gas, resulting in the monkey's 'bloated' bellies. A side-effect of this unique digestive system is that it is unable to digest ripe fruit, unlike most other simians. The diet consists mainly of fruits, seeds and leaves.

Pink Fairy Armadillo

The Pink Fairy Armadillo (Chlamyphorus truncatus) or Pichiciego is the smallest species of armadillo (mammals of the family Dasypodidae, mostly known for having a bony armor shell). It is approximately 90-115 mm long excluding the tail, and is pale rose or pink in color. It is found in central Argentina where it inhabits dry grasslands and sandy plains with thorn bushes and cacti. It has the ability to bury itself completely in a matter of seconds if frightened.
The Pink Fairy Armadillo burrows small holes near ant colonies in dry dirt. It feeds mainly on ants and ant larvae near its burrow. Occasionally it feeds on worms, snails, insects and larvae, or various plant and root material.

Axolotl

The Axolotl (or ajolote) (Ambystoma mexicanum) is the best-known of the Mexican neotenic mole salamanders belonging to the Tiger Salamander complex. Larvae of this species fail to undergo metamorphosis, so the adults remain aquatic and gilled. The species originates from the lake underlying Mexico City . Axolotls are used extensively in scientific research due to their ability to regenerate most body parts, ease of breeding, and large embryos. They are commonly kept as pets in the United States , Great Britain , Australia , Japan (where they are sold under the name Wooper Rooper, and other countries.
Axolotls should not be confused with waterdogs, the larval stage of the closely related Tiger Salamanders (Ambystoma tigrinum and Ambystoma mavortium), which is widespread in much of North America which also occasionally become neotenic, nor with mudpuppies (Necturus spp.), fully aquatic salamanders which are unrelated to the axolotl but which bear a superficial resemblance.

Aye-aye

The Aye-aye (Daubentonia madagascariensis) is a strepsirrhine native to Madagascar that combines rodent-like teeth with a long, thin middle finger to fill the same ecological niche as a woodpecker. It is the world's largest nocturnal primate, and is characterized by its unique method of finding food; it taps on trees to find grubs, then gnaws holes in the wood and inserts its elongated middle finger to pull the grubs out.
Daubentonia is the only genus in the family Daubentoniidae and infraorder Chiromyiformes. The Aye-aye is the only extant member of the genus (although it is currently an endangered species); a second species (Daubentonia robusta) was exterminated over the last few centuries.

Alpaca

The Alpaca (Vicugna pacos) is a domesticated species of South American camelid developed from the wild alpacas. It resembles a sheep in appearance, but is larger and has a long erect neck as well as coming in many colors, whereas sheep are generally bred to be white and black.
Alpacas are kept in herds that graze on the level heights of the Andes of Ecuador, southern Peru , northern Bolivia , and northern Chile at an altitude of 3500 to 5000 meters above sea-level, throughout the year.
Alpacas are considerably smaller than llamas, and unlike them are not used as beasts of burden but are valued only for their fiber. Alpacas only have fleece fibers, not woolen fibers, used for making knitted and woven items much as sheeps wool is. These items include blankets, sweaters, hats, gloves, scarves, a wide variety of textiles and ponchos in South America , and sweaters, socks and coats in other parts of the world. The fiber comes in more than 52 natural colors as classified in Peru , 12 as classified in Australia and 22 as classified in America .

Tarsier

Tarsiers are prosimian primates of the genus Tarsius, a monotypic genus in the family Tarsiidae, which is itself the lone extant family within the infraorder Tarsiiformes. The phylogenetic position of extant tarsiers within the order Primates has been debated for much of the past century, and tarsiers have alternately been classified with strepsirrhine primates in the suborder Prosimii, or as the sister group to the simians (=Anthropoidea) in the infraorder Haplorrhini. Analysis of SINE insertions, a type of macromutation to the DNA, is argued to offer very persuasive evidence for the monophyly of Haplorrhini, where other lines of evidence, such as DNA sequence data, had remained ambiguous. Thus, some systematists argue that the debate is conclusively settled in favor of a monophyletic Haplorrhini.
Tarsiers have enormous eyes and long feet. Their feet have extremely elongated tarsus bones, which is how they got their name. They are primarily insectivorous, and catch insects by jumping at them. They are also known to prey on birds and snakes. As they jump from tree to tree, tarsiers can catch even birds in motion. Gestation takes about six months, and tarsiers give birth to single offspring. All tarsier species are nocturnal in their habits, but like many nocturnal organisms some individuals may show more or less activity during the daytime. Unlike many nocturnal animals, however, tarsiers lack a light-reflecting area (tapetum lucidum) of the eye.

Dumbo Octopus

The octopuses of the genus Grimpoteuthis are sometimes nicknamed 'Dumbo octopuses' from the ear-like fins protruding from the top of their 'heads' (actually bodies), resembling the ears of Walt Disney's flying elephant. They are benthic creatures, living at extreme depths, and are some of the rarest of the Octopoda species.

Frill-necked Lizard

The Frill-necked Lizard, or Frilled Lizard also known as the Frilled Dragon, (Chlamydosaurus kingii) is so called because of the large ruff of skin which usually lies folded back against its head and neck. The neck frill is supported by long spines of cartilage, and when the lizard is frightened, it gapes its mouth showing a bright pink or yellow lining, and the frill flares out, displaying bright orange and red scales. The frill may also aid in thermoregulation.
They may grow up to one metre in total length. They often walk quadrupedally when on the ground. When frightened they begin to run on all-fours and then accelerate onto the hind-legs. In Australia , the frill-necked lizard is also known as the 'bicycle lizard' because of this behaviour. Males are significantly larger than females both as juveniles and when mature. The frill of the Australian frilled dragon is used to frighten off potential predators - as well as hissing and lunging. If this fails to ward off the threat, the lizard flees bipedally to a nearby tree where it climbs to the top and relies on camouflage to keep it hidden.

Narwhal

The Narwhal (Monodon monoceros) is an Arctic species of cetacean. It is a creature rarely found south of latitude 70°N. It is one of two species of white whale in the Monodontidae family (the other is the beluga whale). It is possibly also related to the Irrawaddy dolphin.
The English name narwhal is derived from the Dutch name narwal which in turn comes from the Danish narhval which is based on the Old Norse word nar, meaning 'corpse.' This is a reference to the animal's colour. The narwhal is also commonly known as the Moon Whale.
In some parts of the world, the Narwhal is colloquially referred to as a 'reamfish.'

Sucker-footed Bat

The Madagascar Sucker-footed Bat, Old World Sucker-footed Bat, or Sucker-footed Bat (Myzopoda aurita and Myzopoda schliemanni) is a species of bat in the Myzopodidae family.

Pygmy Marmoset

The Pygmy Marmoset (Callithrix (Cebuella) pygmaea) is a monkey native to the rainforest canopies of western Brazil , southeastern Colombia , eastern Ecuador , and eastern Peru . It is one of the smallest primates, with its body length ranging from 14-16 cm (excluding the 15-20 cm tail) and the smallest monkey. Males weigh around 140 g (5 ounces), and females only 120 g ( 4.2 ounces).
TDespite its name, the Pygmy Marmoset is somewhat different from the typical marmosets classified in genus Callithrix. As such, it is accorded its own subgenus, which was formerly recognized as its own genus, Cebuella.
TThe Pygmy Marmoset has a tawny coat, and a ringed tail that can be as long as its body. Their claws are specially adapted for climbing trees, a trait unique to the species. They are omnivorous, feeding on fruit, leaves, insects, and sometimes even small reptiles. Much of their diet, however, comes from tapping trees for sap. Up to two-thirds of their time is spent gouging tree bark to reach the gummy sap. The Pygmy Marmoset has specialized incisors for gouging holes in bark. Unfortunately, because of its small size, and its swift movements, it is very hard to observe in the wild.
TIn captivity, the Pygmy Marmoset can live up to 11 years.

Blobfish

The blobfish (Psychrolutes marcidus) is a fish that inhabits the deep waters off the coasts of Australia and Tasmania . Due to the inaccessibility of its habitat, it is rarely seen by humans.
Blobfish are found at depths where the pressure is several dozens of times higher than at sea level, which would likely make gas bladders inefficient. To remain buoyant, the flesh of the blobfish is primarily a gelatinous mass with a density slightly less than water; this allows the fish to float above the sea floor without expending energy on swimming. The relative lack of muscle is not a disadvantage as it primarily swallows edible matter that floats by in front it.

Platypus

The Platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) is a semi-aquatic mammal endemic to eastern Australia , including Tasmania . Together with the four species of echidna, it is one of the five extant species of monotremes, the only mammals that lay eggs instead of giving birth to live young. It is the sole living representative of its family (Ornithorhynchidae) and genus (Ornithorhynchus), though a number of related species have been found in the fossil record.
The bizarre appearance of this egg-laying, duck-billed mammal baffled naturalists when it was first discovered, with some considering it an elaborate fraud. It is one of the few venomous mammals; the male Platypus has a spur on the hind foot which delivers a poison capable of causing severe pain to humans. The unique features of the Platypus make it an important subject in the study of evolutionary biology and a recognizable and iconic symbol of Australia ; it has appeared as a mascot at national events and is featured on the reverse of the Australian 20 cent coin.
Until the early 20th century it was hunted for its fur, but it is now protected throughout its range. Although captive breeding programs have had only limited success and the Platypus is vulnerable to the effects of pollution, it is not under any immediate threat.

Shoebill

The Shoebill, Balaeniceps rex also known as Whalehead is a very large bird related to the storks. It derives its name from its massive shoe-shaped bill.
The Shoebill is a very large bird, averaging 1.2 m (4 ft) tall, 5.6 kg (12.3 lbs) and 2.33 m (7.7 ft) across the wings. The adult is mainly grey, the juveniles are browner. It lives in tropical east Africa, in large swamps from Sudan to Zambia .
The Shoebill was added rather recently to the ornithological lists; the species was only discovered in the 19th century when some skins were brought to Europe . It was not until years later that live specimens reached the scientific community. The bird was known to both ancient Egyptians and Arabs however. There exist Egyptian images depicting the Shoebill while the Arabs referred to the bird as abu markub, which means one with a shoe. Clearly, this refers to the striking bill.

Yeti Crab

Kiwa hirsuta is a crustacean discovered in 2005 in the South Pacific Ocean . This decapod, which is approximately 15 cm (6 inches) long, is notable for the quantity of silky blond setae (resembling fur) covering its pereiopods (thoracic legs, including claws). Its discoverers dubbed it the 'yeti lobster' or 'yeti crab'[2].
K. hirsuta was discovered in March 2005 by a group organised by Robert Vrijenhoek of the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute in Monterey , California , using the submarine DSV Alvin, operating from RV Atlantis[3]. The discovery was announced on the 7th of March, 2006. It was found 1,500 km (900 miles) south of Easter Island in the South Pacific, at a depth of 2,200 m (7,200 feet), living on hydrothermal vents along the Pacific-Antarctic Ridge[4]. Based on both morphology and molecular data, the species was deemed to form a new genus and family (Kiwaidae). The animal has strongly reduced eyes that lack pigment, and is thought to be blind.
The 'hairy' pincers contain filamentous bacteria, which the creature may use to detoxify poisonous minerals from the water emitted by the hydrothermal vents where it lives. Alternatively, it may feed on the bacteria, although it is thought to be a general carnivore[2]. Its diet also consists of green algae and small shrimp.

After a long lay-off, leeches are back in business.

Looking like black ribbons, the leeches swim with a serpentine movement in a plastic tank full of water. The people at Artsoulist Agrotech Sdn Bhd do a brisk business of exporting farm-raised leeches to the UK for medical purposes.

Leeches were once the bright stars of an ancient medical practice when bloodletting was all the rage.

The Egyptians used them, as did the Greeks and Indians, and much later medieval Europe. Physicians prescribed leeches for everything, from headaches to obesity, eye disorders to brain congestion, even mental illness!

They went out of fashion in the 1960s – but not for long.

Leeches started making a comeback in the West in the 1980s, with the advent of microsurgery. They have become especially useful in plastic and reconstructive surgery for their ability to suck up excess blood and prevent blood clots, thereby helping to keep tissues alive.

For the sake of a better story, I volunteer to “host” a leech, and manage to persuade the people at Artsoulist to let me have one to experience for myself the medieval practice of bloodletting.

I lift the lid and poke at one. The creature feels wet and cool, like a chilled strand of fettuccine. Hardwired to be repulsed by anything that writhes, I quickly retract my finger.

Leeches, by virtue of being slimy and wriggly, are high on my “icky” list, but I psyche myself to donate a tablespoon or two of blood to one lucky leech.

“Leeches are contortionists,” says Artsoulist Agrotech executive director, Asmadi Awang, 28.

“They can stretch out till they are as slender as a toothpick,” he explains, indicating that it’s OK to tug on a leech that has stubbornly gripped onto the side of the tank.

The thing is, I once accidentally “broke” an earthworm. I was terribly upset and took the pieces to a neighbor who was a nurse and insisted she put the worm back together again with a band-aid.

Poor woman. Poor worm.

So I shift my attention towards another and fish a nice, hungry-looking one out of the water and put it onto my arm.

The leech, thrilled that it’s in for an early lunch, humps along, its back arched like a cat on the prowl.

Reaching the back of my palm, Lenny – already I have named it! – brushes its head against my skin, its 300 microscopic teeth sawing through my flesh.

I read somewhere that the leech’s saliva anaesthetizes the wound area, dilates the blood vessels to increase blood flow and prevents the blood from clotting. The anesthetic in the leech’s saliva explains why I only feel the slightest prick.

“Leeches can consume between five and 20ml of blood – 10 times their body weight in a single feeding. After two to four hours, the leech will drop off,” explains Asmadi.

“The use of these medicinal leeches is not widespread in Malaysia, as not much research has been done. A local university is currently conducting a study, but it is still at the teething stage,” he adds.

With Lenny on my hand, I head to Malacca for my next stop – a leech farm.

Getting bitten by these medicinal leeches is an occupational hazard for Othman Ghouse, 43. He raises the Hirudo medicinalis by the thousands. The Hirudo medicinalis was cleared by the US Food and Drug Administration in June 2004 as a “medical device”.

Othman and his partner were one of the 100 outfits selected by Artsoulist Agrotech to participate in a leech breeding programme and awarded RM50,000 for capital.

“My partner and I started this project in September 2007,” says Othman.

I crouch gingerly next to one of the six ponds for a closer look. On one side of the 18m x 6m pond, water lilies grow in abundance.

“We plant the water lilies as it provides food and shelter for the leeches,” says Othman.

I stir the clear water with my hand, and soon a dozen or so leeches start to swim towards me like piranhas. Before they get too close, I quickly yank my hand out. Hah! But in my haste and excitement, I almost fall head first into the sandy bottom . . . and then they would have had the last laugh.

While most of us stay clear of these slimy bloodsuckers, there are those who seek them out stealthily. Othman tells me intruders have broken into a few leech farms up north in Kedah and Perak.

“They can fetch up to RM60 a kilogramme, so as precaution, I recently installed fencing all around,” he says.

“Rearing leeches caught my attention because it’s something new,” says Othman.

Isolated in a corner of the farm is a smaller cement pond. I peer inside and see ripples forming on the surface of the murky water. I can’t make out what’s swimming underneath, until I spot a bucketful of catfish next to it.

“So you rear catfish too?” I ask.

“No, I use the pond to store market-bought catfish that I feed to the leeches,” explains Othman.

He demonstrates by stuffing two squirming catfish into a wire cage, and dunks them into one of the ponds, using a pumping motion to agitate the water. Within minutes, the once alive and squirming catfish have been bled to death by 30 or so leeches.

I tell Othman I think it would be more humane if the catfish were let loose into the pond, then they would at least have a fighting chance and the leeches would have to work their suckers off for their meal.

“If the fish carcass floats around in the pond, it might contaminate the water. It’s easier to remove the carcass by placing the fish in a cage,” Othman says.

“For now, I’m going to concentrate on breeding leeches only. They’re simple to rear compared to fish and prawn. We just have to maintain the condition of the pond so it’s similar to padi fields and swamps. We do not have to change the water, and feeding cost is minimal. On top of that, a leech breeds four times in its lifecycle,” he adds.

If farming leeches is so easy, then why are medicinal leeches raised in sterile, laboratory conditions in Britain? I ask Asmadi later.

“Hirudo medicinalis is native to South-East Asia and Europe. The leeches are raised in tanks in the UK to replicate its native living condition. Researchers from a university in the UK who have studied leeches farmed in Malaysia found that our leeches contain a potent enzyme that is not available in leeches raised in the UK. They credit that to the condition of our soil,” he replies.

A trip to and from Malacca and three episodes of Prison Break later, Lenny has grown from a skinny little thing to a big round one filled with blood. But still he isn’t done with me yet. A friend offers to burn him off with a lit cigarette, but I refuse.

“Eight hours! It’s been way to long,” Asmadi tells me when I ring him up.

“Push the anterior sucker aside using your fingernail and then do the same with the posterior sucker to remove it. Try not to let the leech reattach itself,” he advises.

My squeamish threshold being quite low, I decide to try a less hands-on approach. I remember Asmadi telling me leeches should be kept in purified water, so I grab a bottle of mineral water and pour a little over the leech. Thank God, it works! The leech writhes and releases its jaw, dropping into the cookie jar I hold open beneath it.

Wiping off the traces of blood on my hand reveals a Y-shaped imprint, much like a Mercedes Benz emblem. I soak some tobacco in water and dab it onto the wound (a jungle survival tip), before sealing it with gauze and plaster.

As Asmadi warned me, the wound, infused with the leech’s anti-clogging enzyme continues to bleed for the next 10 hours.

“Used leeches are like syringes that can walk. In hospitals, after a single use, they are carefully disposed off by dipping them in alcohol to stop diseases carried in the blood like hepatitis A and AIDS from spreading,” reveals Asmadi.

I wonder if the animal rights activists are outraged, so I log onto the PETA web site. Oddly enough, there isn’t a single mention of medicinal leeches on their website, nor is there a photo of Alicia Silverstone standing naked in a swamp covered in leeches.

But we have a bond, Lenny and I, so I can’t bring myself to terminate him. He now lives in an aquarium on a table next to my bed. That should keep my sister out of my room.

----------------By ROSE YASMIN KARIM - The Star, 23 Feb 2008----------------

Andrias Japonicus

National Status - Fully protected by law since 1952; classified as rare (Kato and Ota 1993). NT (Near Threatened) according to the Red Data Book, 2nd ed. (Japan Agency of Environment 2000; Ota 2000)

Description :
Heavily built salamander. Head broad and flat. Body strongly depressed; terminal two-thirds of tail strongly compressed; nostrils small, near tip of the snout, their distance from each other less than one-half the distance between the eyes, which are without eyelids and very small. Vomerine teeth in an arched series starting between the choanae, parallel to the maxillary and premaxillary series. Thin lower labial fold starting midway between nostril and eye to angle of mouth. Legs short and flattened. Tail short, slightly more than one-third the length of head and body, with a high dorsal fin beginning at insertion of hind legs, and a lower ventral fin.Skin rough, with wrinkles, folds and tubercles. No external sexual dimorphism. During the breeding season, cloacal lips are swollen in the male and flat in the female. Color is reddish-brown, paler below; irregularly blotched and marbled with dusky spots. Total length about 100 cm. Maximum length 144 cm (Thorn 1969). Wide range of total length of adult males (from 30 to 102 cm in wild animals), a result of continuous growth after sexual maturity (Kawamichi & Ueda 1998). A male of 78 cm may weigh 3,3 kilograms.Closely related and very similar to A.davidianus. Genetic variation is low (Matsui & Hayashi 1992).

The genus Andrias includes two extant species, the Chinese A. davidianus and the Japanese A. japonicus. These species are the largest living salamanders, with adults reaching a total length of more than 100 cm. Vomerine teeth located on anterior margin of vomer, parallel with maxillary tooth row; teeth form a long arc. Nasals in contact with maxilla; frontal does not enter external naris. Pteroid broad, almost in contact with base of maxilla. Hyoid arches cartilaginous. Two pairs of branchial arches. Body large, no spiracle on head; distance between nostrils less than half the distance between the eyes. Tongue large. Tubercles on highly vascular skin. Permanently aquatic.

The Japanese Giant Salamander is very similar to the Chinese Giant Salamander and differs from the latter by the arrangement of tubercles on the head and throat. These tubercles are larger and more numerous than in A. davidianus; they are mostly single and irregularly scattered. The snout is more rounded and the tail a little shorter in the Japanese species.

Distribution and Habitat :
The Japanese Giant Salamander is known from the southwestern portion of the Island of Honshu northeast to the Prefecture of Gifu, Shikoku, and on the Island of Kyushu only in the Prefecture of Oita, Japan.

The salamander occurs in mountain streams with clear cool water flowing through granite and schist regions. These streams have usually rocky or gravel bottoms, a width of some 20 m, and at places shallow, quitely running water. The animals keep themselves concealed in rocky caverns or in burrows on the water’s edge (Tago 1927). Vertical distribution 300 to 1000 m.

Life History, Abundance, Activity, and Special Behaviors :
Spawning occurs in late August, early September. Eggs are deposited in strings containing 400-600 eggs. Diameter of egg 5 mm; diameter of external gelatinous capsule 8 to 15 mm. At water temperatures between 13º and 20º C embryonic development takes approximately two months (Thorn 1969). Larvae hatch at a total length of 30 mm and start feeding after absorption of yolk. One year old larvae measure about 100 mm, three year olds some 200 mm. At this size larvae start losing their gills. Males reach sexual maturity at 30 cm, females at 40 cm. The species is presumed to take at least five years to reach maturity (Matsui & Hayashi 1992) and is extremely long lived. A specimen in the Amsterdam Zoo lived for 52 years (Tago 1927).

The salamanders are entirely aquatic and nocturnal. They feed on fresh-water crabs, fish, and small amphibians (Tago 1927).Males and females have overlapping home ranges and are more or less sedentary outside the spawning period. During the breeding season, in August-September, both sexes congregate at underwater nest sites, consisting of 100 to 150 cm long burrows into or near the river bank. Nests have a single entrance opening underwater. Favourable nest sites may be used during successive years. Both males and females may occupy more than one nest at the time, with large and heavy males (‘den-masters’) attempting to monopolise occupancy of the nest sites. Nests are guarded from inside by males, attacking other males who try to enter. Males may also patrol around the nest area, chasing and attacking other males. Females enter the nests more than once and lay their eggs in the cavity, where they are fertilised by the male. At this stage several other males may intrude and try to fertilise the eggs. After spawning, den-masters remain at the nests for more than one month and aggressively guard the eggs until hatching occurs or until late October. Dominance rank of den-masters among males attempting to breed appears to be strong. Dead and heavily injured males have often been found during September (Kawamichi & Ueda 1998).

Trends and Threats :
The range of this species is severely fragmented (Ohno 1981). A continuing decline is observed in extent and quality of habitat and in the number of locations where the animal was found (IUCN World Conservation Monitoring Centre). Because habitat destruction has increased in recent years, this species is more severely subject to local extinctions than it was in the past, and a more effective protection of its habitat is of immediate necessity (Matsui & Hayashi 1992).

According to the Japan Agency of Environment (2000), the species is considered to be Near Threatened (see also Ota 2000).

Relation to Humans :
The animal used to hunted for food and medical purposes.The Japanese Giant Salamander was first bred in captivity in the Amsterdam Zoo (Kerbert 1905). In recent years this salamander was bred successfully in captivity in Japan (Kuwabara et al. 1989). Attempts have been made to rebuild spawning places along the Ichi River (Tochimoto 1995).

Possible reasons for amphibian decline :
General habitat alteration and loss Habitat fragmentation

Comments :
There is a vast literature on this species, much of it in Japanese. See Stejneger (1907), Sato (1943), Thorn (1969) and for recent ecological studies by T. Tochimoto and J. Kobara in Japanese, see ref. in Kawamichi & Ueda (1998).

Written by :
Max Sparreboom (m.c.sparreboom AT hetnet.nl), Foundation Praemium Erasmianum, Amsterdam. 2000-04-28
Edited by :
M. J. Mahoney

在水族市場中，因為同時融合了野生採集與人工培育的水族品系，因此除了以種(species)為單位的分類基礎外，同時充滿諸多變異與色彩特徵的品系(strain)與個體(individual)，更豐富了飼養者對於飼養與欣賞的特殊追求。

因此在許多異型(Pleco)、老鼠魚(Corydoras spp.)或是南美短鯛(Apistogramma spp.)的種類中，可分別見到以分布區域或採集點為區分的產地型，特別是特定的品系或個體，如果具有全色(full-color)的表現，多半會引起市場的一陣騷動，隨後便是廣泛地討論與收集飼養。

在具有相同分類依據的短鯛種類中，以黃金短鯛(Apistogramma borellii)為例，便分別有著黃金短鯛、歐寶黃金與24K黃金短鯛的差別；同樣的，對於特定種類的異型，也會依據色彩表現不同，而區分為18與24K。其中最主要的差異，其實便在於個體的體色表現，是否有著全色、大範圍或特定區域的色彩分布。而之所以會以24K作為商品名稱，則是因為針對這類特殊種類或個體的欣賞重點，多是以鮮明的黃色為主，因此為方便稱呼與增加商品價值，所以便使用於區分一般貴重金屬純度的單位。

不過在短鯛與異型中，以俗稱為24K黃金達摩的Parancistrus spp.最具有爭議性，因為這主要從哥倫比亞出口的個體，迄今還存在許多令人難以解釋的問題存在。首先便是個體的基礎分類資料，直到今天還無法確定至種的階段；雖然在部分的資料中顯示，在親緣性上牠們非常接近Parancistrus aurantiacus，只不過多變的色彩表現，卻讓牠們不但缺乏了正確的學名，同時在一般觀賞水族中，針對異型這類棘甲鯰所賦予的L/LDA編號，也遲遲未能固定下來。

但對於許多飼養者而言，所關心的卻是Parancistrus spp. Pure Gold在體色改變上的問題。因為甫輸入的個體，多半能呈現相當耀眼的銘黃體色；甚至少數個體在全黃的體色上，幾乎找不到任何一點褐色或黑色的雜斑，這對於向來給予人深沉色彩印象的異型，往往有著天壤地別的差異，因此要擁有一條全色而毫無雜斑的Parancistrus spp. Pure Gold，不但必須碰碰運氣，同時還常得所費不貲。

不過最大的爭議，往往出現在後續的飼養之上，因為若以正常情況飼養個體，即便有適當的光照、投餵與水質管理，個體的體色依舊會逐漸轉為黯淡，甚至從原本的銘黃色，逐漸衰退為鵝黃色、土黃色、淺褐色至黑色，最後就如具有野生色型態的Parancistrus aurantiacus完全相同。或許在市場中有人認為全色或眼部不具色塊的個體，可長久穩定的維持體色，然而在實際飼養上，不論藉由溫度調整或改變餌料組成，都無法遏止這種逐漸黯淡的體色轉變。

在以欣賞價值為主的觀賞水族市場中，這的確是一個明顯且重要的癥結，或許可藉由更深入的了解與認識，試圖改善這個問題，讓屬於Parancistrus spp. Pure Gold的特有魅力，能持續散發並引人驚豔!

http://kminter.coa.gov.tw/subject/ct.asp?xItem=89330&ctNode=2313&mp=93
http://www.planetcatfish.com/catelog/captions.php?letter=d

- Scientific Classification -
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Siluriformes
Family: Doradidae
Genus: Agamyxis Cope, 1878

- Binomial name -
Agamyxis albomaculatus(Peters, 1877)
Agamyxis pectinifrons(Cope, 1870)

Agamyxis is a genus of catfishes (order Siluriformes) of the family Doradidae. It contains two species, A. albomaculatus and A. pectinifrons. A. pectinifrons is a popular aquarium fish and is often sold as the spotted raphael catfish or spotted talking catfish.

- Distribution -
A. albomaculatus is distribued in the Orinoco River basin in Venezuela while A. pectinifrons is found in the Amazon River basin.

- Description -
Both species reach about 15 centimetres (6 in) SL. These species both appear very similar; A. albomaculatus might be slimmer, have more spots and a different pattern on its caudal fin.

- Ecology -
These catfish are able to make sounds by grinding their pectoral fin bones against their shoulder bones. They can live for 17 years.

- In The Aquarium -
A. pectinifrons is a popular aquarium fish and is often sold as the spotted raphael catfish or spotted talking catfish. It is recommended, due to the spines on this fish which would tear up a conventional net, that it is preferable to move these fish by hand. These fish need a dark refuge to hide in during the day.
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Scientific Name : Agamyxis pectinifrons (Cope, 1870)
Common Name(s) : Spotted Raphael Catfish / Spotted Talking Catfish / White Spotted Doradid / Whitebarred Catfish

Type Locality : Pebas, Peru.
Synonym(s) : Doras pectinifrons
Pronunciation : peck TIN ee frons
Etymology : Agamyxis-From the Greek agan, meaning much, and myxa, meaning mucus; in reference to the mucus produced by the fish.

- Species Information -
Size : 130mm (5.1") SL
Identification : The light coloured spots that make this fish so attractive range from brilliant white to pale yellow in different batches of imports.

- Habitat Information -
Distribution : Widespread throughout tropical South American rivers Amazon.
pH : 6.0 - 7.5
Temperature : 20.0-26.0°C or 68-78.8°F (Show others)

- Husbandry Information -
Feeding : Will eat any food that reaches it. Bloodworm and sinking catfish tablets are best as they can be ''aimed'' at the fishes daytime hide-out.
Furniture : Needs a dark refuge, but smaller individuals will spend the day in dense vegetation just as happily.
Compatibility : A perfect community fish.
Suggested Tankmates : Ideal first catfish for a budding aquarist as well as a good ''worker'' catfish for all levels of community tanks.
Breeding : Some details, although sketchy. Seems to be a bubble nest builder or at least lay its eggs on floating vegetation at the water surface.
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Website :
http://www.aqua-fish.net/show.php?h=thornycatfish
http://www.planetcatfish.com/catelog/species.php?species_id=313
http://www.scotcat.com/factsheets/agamyxis_pectinifrons.htm
http://www.planetcatfish.com/catelog/captions.php?letter=a

Common name : Thorny catfish
Genus : Agamyxis 蜴鯰屬
Fish name : Agamyxis albomaculatus
Maximum size (min-max) : 12.0 - 14.0 cm ( 4.7 - 5.5 in)
PH of water : 6.0 - 7.5
Water hardness (dGH) : dGH 8.0 - 12.0 N
Recommended temperature : 20.0 - 26.0 C ( 68.0 - 78.8 F)
Temperament to its family : peaceful
Temperament to other fish species : peaceful
Place in the aquarium : Bottom levels
The way of breeding : Spawning
Fish origin : South America

* Please click links below to watch the video clips & articles.

http://www.petatv.com/tvpopup/Prefs.asp?video=meet_your_meat
http://www.petatv.com/tvpopup/Prefs.asp?video=covance_30
http://www.goveg.com/factoryFarming.asp
http://www.goveg.com

The green pastures and idyllic barnyard scenes of years past are now distant memories. On today's factory farms, animals are crammed by the thousands into filthy windowless sheds, wire cages, gestation crates, and other confinement systems. These animals will never raise their families, root in the soil, build nests, or do anything that is natural to them. They won't even feel the sun on their backs or breathe fresh air until the day they are loaded onto trucks bound for slaughter.

Animals on today's factory farms have no legal protection from cruelty that would be illegal if it were inflicted on dogs or cats: neglect, mutilation, genetic manipulation, and drug regimens that cause chronic pain and crippling, transport through all weather extremes, and gruesome and violent slaughter. Yet farmed animals are no less intelligent or capable of feeling pain than are the dogs and cats we cherish as companions.

The factory farming system of modern agriculture strives to maximize output while minimizing costs. Cows, calves, pigs, chickens, turkeys, ducks, geese, and other animals are kept in small cages, in jam-packed sheds, or on filthy feedlots, often with so little space that they can't even turn around or lie down comfortably. They are deprived of exercise so that all their bodies' energy goes toward producing flesh, eggs, or milk for human consumption. The giant corporations that run most factory farms have found that they can make more money by cramming animals into tiny spaces, even though many of the animals get sick and some die. Industry journal National Hog Farmer explains, "Crowding Pigs Pays," and egg-industry expert Bernard Rollins writes that "chickens are cheap; cages are expensive."
They are fed drugs to fatten them faster and to keep them alive in conditions that would otherwise kill them, and they are genetically altered to grow faster or to produce much more milk or eggs than they would naturally. Many animals become crippled under their own weight and die within inches of water and food.

While the suffering of all animals on factory farms is similar, each type of farmed animal faces different types of cruelty.

The coelacanth is often called a living fossil fish. It was supposed to have become extinct 65 million years ago, but a specimen of what was apparently a coelacanth was picked up at a fish market near Cape Town, South Africa in 1938. After being identified as a coelacanth and stuffed as a taxidermic specimen to preserve it, doubts were expressed about whether it was genuine. Scientists brought out all the arguments that they typically use to explain away cryptids, including that it was a misidentified normal animal. In this case, it was accused of being a common grouper, even though the remains did not resemble that fish. A second coelacanth was not captured until 1952. Some years after that, catching coelacanths became more of a science and the capture of hundreds of coelacanths managed to demolish the remainder of the scoffers. Today, the coelacanth is fully accepted as a real animal, and we even have videos of live coelacanths swimming in their native habitats.....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coelacanth
http://www.mnh.si.edu/highlight/coelacanth/
http://www.cosmosmagazine.com/node/1504
http://www.thickets.net/toren/2007/08/
http://www.newanimal.org/coelacanth.htm

Flaring the gills that give the species its name, a frilled shark swims at Japan's Awashima Marine Park on Sunday, January 21, 2007. Sightings of living frilled sharks are rare, because the fish generally remain thousands of feet beneath the water's surface.

Spotted by a fisher on January 21, this 5.3-foot (160-centimeter) shark was transferred to the marine park, where it was placed in a seawater pool.

"We think it may have come to the surface because it was sick, or else it was weakened because it was in shallow waters," a park official told the Reuters news service. But the truth may never be known, since the "living fossil" died hours after it was caught.

This serpentine specimen may look like a large eel, but its six slitlike gills help mark it as a cousin of the great white, the hammerhead, and other sharks. But this isn't your average fish.

Believed to have changed little since prehistoric times, the frilled shark is linked to long-extinct species by its slinky shape and by an upper jaw that is part of its skull. Most living sharks have hinged top jaws.

Right now it's known as a "living fossil." But the frilled shark may be on its way to joining its ancestors.

Often accidentally caught and killed in trawlers' nets in Japanese waters, frilled sharks are known to turn up in fertilizer or animal food and occasionally on dinner plates. The World Conservation Union (IUCN) lists the species as near threatened, meaning it "is close to qualifying for or is likely to qualify for a threatened category in the near future."

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Part of our fascination for fish comes from their amazing diversity, brought about by the need to survive and adapt in a huge range of environments. The ability to breathe air is one such adaptation, which has allowed a vast array of fish to survive and thrive in habitats that would simply not support other species. Many commonly-kept aquarium species have this ability, and so it is of interest to look at the biology of air-breathing.

Evolution of Air Breathing

Air breathing has evolved in a large number of different fish species, thanks primarily to the limited abundance of oxygen in water. Compared to air, water may hold from 35 to 42 times less oxygen, and in addition it is far more energy consuming to extract it from water. This is because of the high viscosity and density of water when compared to air, making it harder to pass it across the gills. For this reason, oxygen has a far greater influence on the lives of fish than terrestrial animals.

Because of the limitations on oxygen availability in water, there is a very real danger that levels may become dangerously low, or even life-threatening. Where such conditions occur regularly, fish have had the opportunity to evolve to cope with them. Whilst not all have developed the ability to breathe air (for example, Carp have instead evolved the physiology to withstand short. periods of very low oxygen), many have gone down this route. The most common environment in which air breathing has evolved (in freshwater species), is in tropical swamps and pools that either experience seasonal or daily periods of low oxygen.

Many tropical waters are subject to seasonal drying, which concentrates large numbers of fish in a small volume of water. This increases the oxygen demand substantially, and in addition the resulting smaller volume of water tends to heat up quickly, further depressing oxygen levels. Other swamps and pools may be subject to nightly drops in oxygen levels, due to the abundance of aquatic vegetation and algae. Of the vast majority of freshwater species, routine falls in oxygen levels seem to be the primary force that has driven the evolution of air-breathing.

Types of Air-Breathing

Because air-breathing has evolved in so many families of fish (49, 32 of which are freshwater), there are not surprisingly a number of variations on the theme.

Air-breathing can be broken down into two main categories:
'amphibious' and 'aquatic'.

Amphibious air-breathing is that carried out by fish on land, such as Mudskippers. Although the occurrence of amphibious air-breathing in true freshwater fish is limited, there are examples such as the African Lungfish (during aestivation), and Clarias catfish during their overland migrations to find new habitats. However, the latter two only indulge in this type of air-breathing when forced, and do not voluntarily exit the water as part of their routine behaviour.

More common in freshwater fish is aquatic air-breathing, i.e. the taking of atmospheric air while the fish is in the water, usually by gulping it at the surface. Aquatic air-breathing can further be subdivided into 'facultative' and 'obligatory'. Facultative air breathers, such as Bristle-nosed Plecs, only breathe air when they need to, in response to falling oxygen levels. Continuous air-breathers generally breathe air all the time, although the regularity of it varies. Continuous air breathers may be 'obligatory', i.e. must have access to atmospheric air to survive (such as Trichogaster trichopterus), or 'non-obligatory', i.e. can survive if denied access (such as Corydoras spp).

Air Breathing Organs

Very few air-breathing fish use their gills to extract air from the atmosphere, and indeed having a large gill area can impede survival on land, or in heavily de-oxygenated water. This is because as well as diffusing in through the gills, oxygen may also diffuse out of them. In fish that inhabit very poorly oxygenated water, this would be a distinct disadvantage, as much of the oxygen in their blood may be lost. Depending on the extent to which they rely on air-breathing, many such fish have lost much of the gill area, to reduce this problem. In such species, the excretion of ammonia may also be affected, with a greater proportion of it being converted to urea. This is particularly well developed in those fish that spend time out of the water, where ammonia excretion would be impossible. To prevent levels building up and becoming toxic, they convert it to relatively harmless urea which can be stored for excretion later on. Air breathing organs (ABOs) are varied in their structure and position. Wherever they are, they usually consist of a highly vascularised 'respiratory epithelium', which is specially developed for the absorption of oxygen from air.

The most primitive forms of ABO include the lungs of Lungfish and Bichirs, and modified gas bladders, as seen in Garfish and Butterfly Fish. Other species have modified areas of the stomach, intestine, buccal and pharyngeal cavities, or even specific organs such as the 'labyrinth' in Gouramis, and the 'arborescent' organ in Walking Catfish.

Popular Air Breathers

There are a number of popular and well known ornamental species that breathe air, including the following:

Lungfish:
Although not commonly kept, Lungfish are very well known in the aquarium hobby. They are probably the best known air-breathing fish, having lungs specially evolved for the purpose. Of the Lungfishes, the African (Protopterus spp) and South American (Lepidosiren paradoxa) species are the most reliant on air-breathing, and must do so to survive. Their ability to breathe air is so well developed that they can survive in cocoons during the dry season for years at a time (in a state called 'aestivation'). The Australian Lungfish (Neoceratodus forsteri) is not so reliant on air-breathing, having only one lung and being a facultative air-breather.

Bichirs:
Representatives of the African Bichirs are kept in captivity, and make fascinating pets when cared for properly. They, like the Lungfish, use lungs to breathe air, and are the only known air breathing fish to practice 'recoil aspiration'. This involves the use of the muscles surrounding the lung to contract it, forcing used air out. As the muscles relax, new air is drawn in through the spiracles to the lungs. Many scientists believe that recoil aspiration formed the basis for the evolution of breathing in humans.

Notopteridae:
This family of fish includes the popular African Knife Fish, Xenomystus nigri, and the Clown Knife Fish, Notopterus chitala. They are both continuous air-breathers, and use their gas bladders as an ABO. Scientific studies have shown their ability to withstand anoxic water (no oxygen) for long periods. Under normal conditions, Clown Knife Fish will take air every 6 to 8 minutes.

The Butterfly Fish:
Pantodon bucholzi occurs in small pools, ditches, and backwaters in Africa, and is often seen for sale in aquatics outlets. An obligatory air breather, it must be given access to a warm layer of air above the tank. It uses its gas bladder as an ABO, and it relies heavily on air- breathing to meet its oxygen demand.

Weather Loach:
Fish of the genus Misgurnus have a modified portion of the intestine that they use for extracting oxygen from air. As new air is gulped in, old air is forced out of the vent, giving the impression that they have 'wind'. They are obligatory air-breathers, and as such must be given access to air. Interestingly, they are one of the few freshwater air-breathers that don't come from tropical regions.

Callichthyidae:
This family of armoured catfish includes the popular Corydoras and Hoplosternum catfish. In species studied, up to 80% of the intestine may be modified for air-breathing, in a similar manner to the Weather loach. It appears that Corydoras aeneus (and therefore possibly other Corydoras) are facultative air-breathers, whereas Hoplosternum littorale is obligatory. A shoal of Corydoras will often come to the surface in quick succession to take air, in a behaviour known as 'synchronous air-breathing'. This is seen in many other air-breathers, and is designed to minimise the chance of predation during risky migrations to the surface.

Loricariidae:
While not all Plecostomus breathe air, a number of commonly kept ones certainly do. Both Ancistrus and Hypostomus have been shown to take air, using their stomachs as ABOs. Old air is exhaled via the gill chambers, before new air is gulped in. Around 20 species have been shown to breathe air, and they all appear to be facultative, only doing so when necessary.

Anabantoidei:
Also called 'labyrinth' fish, this group of fishes are renowned for their air breathing abilities, and include popular species such as Trichogaster trichopterus, Colisa spp, Betta splendens, Ctenopoma spp, and so on.

The labyrinth organ is a specially modified structure, situated to the rear of, and just above the gills. The labyrinth is an intricate, bony structure, covered in a respiratory epithelium. It can be sealed off from the rest of the mouth, allowing normal feeding to carry on while oxygen is extracted from the air within it. All labyrinth fish are continuous airbreathers, and most are obligatory , making the provision of a warm layer of air essential.

Air-breathing is just one of the many fascinating aspects of fish behaviour that can be observed in an aquarium, and which make fish such remarkable animals.

Further reading: Air Breathing Fishes, Evolution, Diversity, and Adaptation. J. B. Graham, 1997. Published by Academic Press.

http://www.fbas.co.uk/ABOS.html

Africa : Aquatic life (Encyclopædia Britannica)
Freshwater fish include both remarkable archaic forms and examples of rapid recent evolution. Among the ancient forms are lungfish (Protopterus), bichirs, or lobefins (Polypterus), and reedfish (Calamoichthys), all of which can breathe air—a property also possessed by certain catfish (Clariidae), ...

lungfish : Size range and distribution (Encyclopædia Britannica)
Most species grow to substantial size. The Australian lungfish, Neoceratodus forsteri, attains weights of up to 10 kilograms (about 22 pounds) and a length of 1.25 metres (about 50 inches). Of the African lungfishes, the yellow marbled Ethiopian species, Protopterus aethiopicus, is the largest, ...

mudfish and lungfish (Britannica Student Encyclopedia)
The African mudfish, or lungfish, can live out of water for many months in its burrow of hardened mud beneath a dried-up streambed. Africans dig it up, burrow and all, and store it for use when they want fresh fish to eat. These fish have also been carried in their mud burrows for exhibition in ...

http://www.britannica.com/eb/art-12730/African-lungfish

The Alligator Snapping Turtle (Macrochelys temminckii) is the largest freshwater turtle in North America. It is a larger and slightly less aggressive relative of the Common Snapping Turtle. The epithet temminckii is in honor of Dutch zoologist Coenraad Jacob Temminck.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alligator_snapping_turtle