MY SUNDAY BEST MEME #144 - AQUARIUM

Welcome to the meme, "My Sunday Best", which is a photographic and creative meme that allows you to showcase your talents in imaging. Every Sunday, you can post here showing an image you have created using your camera, (and/or) image processing software, and/or painting and drawing in the conventional way and have scanned in.

The rules are simple:

1) Create your image and post it up on your blog;

2) Put the "My Sunday Best" logo image link somewhere on your post so people can click and come by here;

3) Leave a comment here once you have posted;

4) Visit other posters' blogs and be amazed with their creativity!

Please do not use this meme to advertise your goods or services. This is a creative meme and any inappropriate links or comments shall be removed immediately!

The theme is of your own choosing, so post on any subject you desire.

Last week Lydia from Sydney, Australia shared some of her snaps from her recent trip to China and I liked this photo, which is my favourite for the week. Please visit her blog for more of her images.

AQUARIUM

Pterophyllum is a small genus of freshwater fish from the family Cichlidae known to most aquarists as angelfish. All Pterophyllum species originate from the Amazon Basin, Orinoco Basin and various rivers in the Guiana Shield in tropical South America. The three species of Pterophyllum are unusually shaped for cichlids being greatly laterally compressed, with round bodies and elongated triangular dorsal and anal fins. This body shape allows them to hide among roots and plants, often on a vertical surface.

Naturally occurring angelfish are frequently striped longitudinally, colouration which provides additional camouflage. Angelfish are ambush predators and prey on small fish and macroinvertebrates. All Pterophyllum species form monogamous pairs. Eggs are generally laid on a submerged log or a flattened leaf. As is the case for other cichlids, brood care is highly developed.

This post is part of the Saturday Critters meme,

and also part of the Camera Critters meme.

GOLDFISH

This post is part of the Saturday Critters meme,

and also part of the Camera Critters meme.

FISH & FOWL

Look closely now...

This post is part of the Mosaic Monday meme,
and also part of the Macro Monday meme,
and also part of the Through my Lens meme,
and also part of the Seasons meme,
and also part of the Blue Monday meme.

AQUARIUM

This post is part of the Mosaic Monday meme,

and also part of the Macro Monday meme,

and also part of the Through my Lens meme,

and also part of the Seasons meme.

'F' IS FOR FISH

"Freckle-faced Freddie fidgets, so for fine fresh fish, phone Phil."

This post is part of the Wordless Wednesday meme,
and also part of the ABC Wednesday meme.

GOLDFISH

The goldfish (Carassius auratus) is a freshwater fish in the family Cyprinidae of order Cypriniformes. It was one of the earliest fish to be domesticated, and is one of the most commonly kept aquarium fish.

A relatively small member of the carp family (which also includes the koi carp and the crucian carp), the goldfish is a domesticated version of a less-colourful carp (Carassius auratus) native to east Asia. It was first domesticated in China more than a thousand years ago, and several distinct breeds have since been developed. Goldfish breeds vary greatly in size, body shape, fin configuration and colouration (various combinations of white, yellow, orange, red, brown, and black are known).

The mutation that gave rise to the domestic goldfish is also known from other cyprinid species, such as common carp and tench.

This post is part of the Saturday Critters meme,
and also part of the Camera Critters meme,
and also part of the Macro Monday meme.

MANTA RAY

Manta rays are large eagle rays belonging to the genus Manta. The larger species, M. birostris, reaches 7 m in width while the smaller, M. alfredi, reaches 5.5 m. Both have triangular pectoral fins, horn-shaped cephalic fins and large, forward-facing mouths. They are classified among the Elasmobranchii (sharks and rays) and are placed in the eagle ray family, Myliobatidae.

Mantas are found in temperate, subtropical and tropical waters. Both species are pelagic; M. birostris migrates across open oceans, singly or in groups, while M. alfredi tends to be resident and coastal. They are filter feeders and eat large quantities of zooplankton, which they swallow with their open mouths as they swim. Gestation lasts over a year, producing live pups. Mantas may visit cleaning stations for the removal of parasites. Like whales, they breach, for unknown reasons.

Both species are listed as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Anthropogenic threats include pollution, entanglement in fishing nets, and direct harvesting for their gill rakers for use in Chinese medicine. Their slow reproductive rate exacerbates these threats. They are protected in international waters by the Convention on Migratory Species of Wild Animals, but are more vulnerable closer to shore. Areas where mantas congregate are popular with tourists. Only a few aquariums are large enough to house them. In general, these large fish are seldom seen and difficult to study. The manta seen here is in the Melbourne Aquarium.

This post is part of the Wednesday Waters meme,

and also part of the Waterworld Wednesday meme,

and also part of the Outdoor Wednesday meme,

and also part of the Wordless Wednesday meme,

and also part of the ABC Wednesday meme.

FISHPOND

This post is part of the Weekend Reflections meme,
and also part of the Weekly TopShot meme,
and also part of the I Heart Macros meme.

STARFISH

Washed up out of the sea and onto the old timber of the pier.

This post is part of the Weekend in Black and White meme.

GOLDFISH

A flash of orange,

A splash of cooling water –

A happy goldfish...

This post is part of the Mandarin Orange Monday meme,

and also part of the Nature Footsteps Inspiring Photography meme,

and also part of the Camera Critters meme,

and also part of the Monday Mellow Yellows meme.

And Saint-Saëns "Aquarium" from the "Carnival of the Animals" is perfect for these!

BROMELIAD AND FISH

The Bromeliaceae (the bromeliads) are a family of monocot flowering plants of around 3,170 species native mainly to the tropical Americas, with a few species found in the American subtropics and one in tropical west Africa, Pitcairnia feliciana. They are among the basal families within the Poales and are unique because they are the only family within the order that has septal nectaries and inferior ovaries. These inferior ovaries characterise the Bromelioideae, a subfamily of the Bromeliaceae.

Many bromeliads are epiphytes, meaning they live on other plants but do not parasitise those plants. Rather than growing in soil, they are found up in the forks of tree branches, surviving mainly on the moisture and nutrients they obtain from the air. Bromeliads can be quite spectacular grown in the garden, but they also make very good pot plants.

This post is part of the Nature Footsteps Floral Macros meme,
and also part of the Ruby Tuesday meme.

PRETTY FISHIES ALL IN A ROW

This post is part of Pat's Things in a Row meme,
and also part of Madge's Weekly Top Shot meme.